Honkai Transformations - 41
--+--
"She's gone... she's really gone..."
Gathered around the equipment, the group stared at the bodysuit sprawled across the floor, surrounded by a mess of scattered microchips. Their faces were a blur of helplessness and grief.
"Research Department! Do we have results yet?!"
Theresa whipped her head toward the researchers manning the consoles, her voice edged with desperation.
"Principal, there's nothing. She... it's like she vanished into thin air. No energy fluctuations, no trace left behind."
"All sensors are reading zero energy signatures."
The researchers frantically worked the controls, but their grim expressions said it all.
"Seele..." Bronya sank to her knees, her hands trembling as she gathered the discarded shuttle suit into her arms.
In that heart-wrenching moment, she knew. This might not just be a disappearance; it might be a final goodbye.
Kiana and Theresa fell into a heavy silence alongside her. Their thoughts immediately drifted to Raiden Ei. Ei had vanished in the exact same way—did this mean they would never see her again, either?
"Wait! Principal!" a researcher suddenly cried out.
Right before their eyes, in the center of the platform that looked like a teleporter, a figure materialized out of thin air.
"...Where am I? Didn't I... die?" Kallen Kaslana stood upon the dais, a look of profound confusion clouding her breathtakingly ethereal features.
The curtain rises!
Behind a surveillance camera in the lab, all the way at Schicksal Headquarters in Europe, Otto Apocalypse had been watching the experiment unfold. He surged to his feet, his emerald eyes wide with genuine shock.
"Kallen?!"
"Wait! Kallen?!"
Theresa's eyes nearly popped out of her head the moment she saw her.
"Theresa?" Kallen looked her way, and in an instant, her sapphire eyes flared with a murderous resolve.
She summoned the Blooded Saints from the void. The black-and-crimson barrels immediately began to spew tongues of scarlet flame.
BANG!!
The next second, Yae Sakura blurred into motion, shielding Theresa. With a flash of Sakura Blossom, she intercepted and sliced the incoming bullets mid-air.
"Sakura?!" Shock flickered across Kallen's face at the sight of her, but it was quickly replaced by a desperate urgency. "Get out of the way! I have to kill her!"
"Kallen! Stop this!" Sakura stared at Kallen, her blue eyes shimmering with emotion, yet she stood her ground firmly.
"There's no time!"
Kallen lunged forward. Within a heartbeat, the two were locked in a high-speed blur of combat.
The Bloodthirsty Saint clashed against Sakura Blossom in a shower of sparks; scarlet bullets were shattered by the pink glint of the blade.
The rest of the lab finally snapped into action. Kiana and Raiden Mei dropped into combat stances, while Fu Hua watched with utter disbelief.
She knew better than anyone that Kallen was dead—she was certain of it.
"Wait! Just wait a second! Why are you trying to kill me?!" Theresa shouted over the chaos, her face pale with bewilderment. "There has to be a mistake here!"
"There is no mistake... this is our original sin, Theresa." Kallen gripped her twin pistols tight, her beautiful face a mask of grim determination.
"I don't know how I've returned from the dead, but I will not stop now!"
As she spoke, the ultimate ability of the Valkyrie armor—specially crafted for her by Otto—began to deploy behind her.
"I'll only say this once! Move!"
The muzzles began to glow with an ominous, lethal light.
"Not a chance!!" Kiana stepped out, planting herself firmly in front of Theresa. She glared at Kallen with fierce defiance.
"I won't let you hurt my Auntie!"
"This isn't your world! You've crossed over into a parallel universe!" Raiden Mei shouted, trying to reach Kallen through the tension.
"She's right, Kallen. Calm down," Fu Hua added, her voice steady as she watched Kallen's every move.
"You..."
When Kallen's gaze landed on Fu Hua, a flicker of doubt and confusion finally crossed her face.
"Please, you have to trust us!" Himeko added, her tone grave and alert.
"Himeko?" The confusion in Kallen's eyes deepened. Behind her, although the massive cannons still hummed with terrifying power, she stayed her hand.
"Listen to me! This really isn't the world you know!" Theresa cried out again.
"..."
Kallen's expression remained stern as she scanned the room. She looked at the faces of the Valkyries one by one.
"There's been a massive misunderstanding!" Theresa pressed, her heart racing. She never imagined she'd see Kallen in the flesh, let alone have Kallen try to kill her on sight. Why?
"...A misunderstanding?" Kallen stared hard at Theresa, taking in her outfit, before her eyes drifted slowly to the Oath of Judah strapped to Theresa's wrist.
"Yes!" Theresa nodded vigorously.
Sakura finally lowered her blade and took two steps toward Kallen. Her eyes were moist with unshed tears.
"Kallen... you really are from another world. This isn't where you belong."
"Sakura..."
Kallen looked at her and fell silent.
Just then, a deep, elegant, and strangely magnetic male voice echoed through the laboratory.
"Kallen, Theresa and Sakura are not lying to you. This is indeed not the world you once knew."
Kallen turned sharply toward a giant monitor in the lab. The screen, which should have been scrolling with data, now displayed the image of Otto Apocalypse.
"Grandpa!"
Theresa's eyes lit up for a second before she remembered herself, her expression twisting back into one of wary resentment.
"Otto..."
Kallen took a deep, shaky breath as she looked at him.
"Is that so? If it's you telling me... then I know you wouldn't lie to me."
"..."
Otto fell silent for a moment, his expression wavering. He stared deeply at Kallen through the screen.
His emerald eyes held a look so complex it was impossible to read—yet it was enough to make a cold shiver run down Kallen's spine.
"Theresa, I will arrive at St. Freya Academy this afternoon," Otto said, his voice regaining its calm, professional veneer.
"What are you coming here for? You're not welcome!" Theresa snapped.
"I am informing you, Theresa," Otto replied coolly. "Not asking for permission."
--+--
Honkai Transformations - 42
--+--
Classic Otto.
Kallen couldn't help but marvel inwardly at his words. His sheer audacity was as impressive as ever—too bad he was the enemy. She wasn't naive enough to think Otto viewed her as his Kallen.
Given his paradoxical nature—overflowing with arrogance and pride, yet harboring a deep-seated inferiority complex regarding her and a desperate fear of abandonment—he likely saw her as nothing more than a Kallen from another timeline, one resurrected by a more "successful" version of himself.
She wasn't his Kallen. She was a trophy from a different reality.
"Then, I shall take my leave." As Otto's voice faded, the screen flickered back into a cascading waterfall of data streams.
A heavy silence descended upon the laboratory.
Kallen stood her ground, the twin pistols, Blooded Saints, slowly lowering in her grip. Though her gaze remained wary, the sharp edge of hostility had blunted.
"Kallen..." Yae Sakura stared at her, her entire frame trembling. Her eyes shimmered, turning a watery crimson as joy and raw emotion overwhelmed her.
"Sakura..."
Kallen murmured the name, her sapphire eyes clouding with a flicker of feigned confusion as she looked at the woman before her.
"Thank God... I'm finally seeing you again..." Sakura couldn't hold back any longer. She lunged forward, pulling Kallen into a desperate, crushing embrace.
"..."
In the safety of the hug, Kallen's expression shifted to one of quiet bewilderment. It was a calculated performance for Sakura and the others.
In the timeline of Sündenjäger Kallen, she had been brought back to life by the "First Hug" of a Theresa who had merged with the power of the Herrscher of Corruption.
Because of that, most of her past memories remained fractured, nothing more than jagged shards.
"Sakura..." Kallen stood rigid, her hands hovering awkwardly as Sakura held her.
Her eyes were a mask of dazed uncertainty. "Otto told me... five hundred years ago... I sealed you away with my own hands. You're... you're still alive?"
"I've always been alive... Kallen..." Sakura nodded fervently.
In her emotional haze, she didn't catch the nuance in Kallen's words—that Kallen was speaking about the sealing from the perspective of an outsider, as if reciting a history book rather than a memory.
Sakura was too far gone in her own relief, pouring out five centuries' worth of longing. For five hundred years, she had lived in the shadow of Kallen's memory.
Even a week ago, when she had encountered a digital, fleeting phantom of Kallen who spoke of those five centuries, it hadn't eased the ache. If anything, seeing that hollow projection vanish as the space collapsed had only made the yearning sharper.
Listening to Sakura's frantic confession, Kallen remained silent. She willed her pistols back into the spatial storage of her Valkyrie armor and let out a soft, weary sigh.
"I'm sorry, Sakura... there's so much I just can't remember."
Kallen shook her head gently, her gaze a complex slurry of guilt and confusion. "I don't remember meeting you. I don't remember anything we went through together."
As she spoke, she tentatively reached out, wrapping her arms around Sakura's waist. Sakura's outfit felt like the finest silk—soft, smooth, and clinging perfectly to her frame.
The moment Kallen's hands made contact, she felt the suppleness of Sakura's waist—firm, lean, and incredibly delicate to the touch.
"...What?" Sakura froze, her voice trembling with sudden insecurity. She pulled back slightly to search Kallen's eyes. Seeing the genuine fog of guilt there, it felt like a thunderbolt had struck her soul. "You... you don't remember?"
Sakura's voice dropped to a ragged whisper, her eyes swimming with sorrow. But seeing the flicker of anxiety and self-reproach in Kallen's expression, she didn't let go.
Instead, she pulled her even closer, as if trying to anchor her to this reality.
"It's okay... Kallen. As long as we're together... I'll tell you everything. Piece by piece, I'll help you remember it all."
"Okay..."
Kallen nodded softly, meeting those deep blue eyes with a look of newfound tenderness. She lowered her voice to a gentle hum. "I might not have the memories, Sakura, but... in this body, I can still feel it. The longing. The love I have for you."
"Kallen..."
Sakura broke into a radiant smile, tears finally spilling over.
Good grief... I'm actually pulling off this soap opera dialogue without cringing, Kallen thought to herself.
In her past life, if she'd seen a scene like this, she would have died of secondhand embarrassment. It was pure sap. But now, held tightly in Sakura's arms, feeling the soft, encompassing warmth of the other woman pressed against her, she had to admit—it felt pretty damn good.
"Um, excuse me..." Theresa chimed in, unable to stay silent any longer.
While she was happy to see Sakura reunited with her lost love, there were some burning questions that needed answering. "So... Kallen, why were you... you know, trying to kill me earlier?"
Kallen's gaze shifted to Theresa. She pulled away from Sakura, her eyes clouding over once more with a heavy, unreadable emotion. After a long pause, she spoke.
"Because... both of us... are things that should never have existed in this world to begin with."
The words hit Theresa like a physical blow, silencing her instantly. As a clone of Kallen, hearing those words from the "original" felt like something vital inside her had just shattered.
"Hey! What the hell are you talking about?!" Kiana snapped, stepping forward and pointing an accusing finger at Kallen.
"Auntie isn't some 'thing' that shouldn't exist! She's Theresa! She's the Principal of St. Freya! She's my favorite aunt, and she has nothing to do with you!"
"Kallen?" Sakura's eyes widened in shock. Having learned of Theresa's origins, she felt a deep protective bond with the girl. She never expected Kallen to say something so cold.
"Wait a moment."
Fu Hua frowned, her blue eyes narrowing thoughtfully behind her glasses. "Judging by what happened with Raiden Ei and Seele... I suspect something else is at play."
"Kallen... is it possible your world is fundamentally different from ours? Can you tell us what happened in your timeline? Why do you feel that way?"
"...Fine."
Kallen maintained her facade—looking slightly bewildered, as if she didn't quite follow Fu Hua's logic. But she began to explain, her tone dropping into a somber, hollow register.
"I... or rather, the body you are looking at right now... actually died five hundred years ago."
"Kallen!" Sakura gasped, her face pale with horror.
Kallen looked at her and shook her head slowly, her expression a pained mixture of sincerity and grief. "Sakura... please, let me finish. If you truly love Kallen, then listen..."
--+--
Honkai Transformations - 43
--+--
Kallen's words cast a heavy, suffocating silence over the entire laboratory.
Theresa, in particular, looked at Kallen with wide, desperate eyes, her gaze trembling with an unbearable mix of anxiety and dread.
"I have been dead for five hundred years, so why am I standing here now?" Kallen's voice was hauntingly calm, as if she were discussing someone else's life entirely.
"It's because someone spent a lifetime chasing a phantom—a shadow named Kallen that lived only in his memories. He exhausted every method, paid a staggering price, and finally found a way to bring me back."
As she spoke, her gaze drifted downward, a flicker of indescribable weight and agony passing through her eyes.
"But what he resurrected... was not a whole version of me."
"No..." Yae Sakura shook her head, her expression frantic and earnest. "I can feel it, Kallen. You are you. You aren't any different from the person I knew five hundred years ago."
"Sakura... thank you for saying that." Kallen looked up, the corners of her mouth twitching into a faint, ghost of a smile, yet the gloom in her sapphire eyes didn't lift for even a second.
"But my memories are fractured. Most of my senses are broken, too. I only remember you because... he was the one who told me about us. Even though my heart tells me you are precious to me, our past, our meeting, the way we loved each other... I know none of it."
As those words hung in the air, the color drained from Yae Sakura's face until she was deathly pale.
The realization hit her like a physical blow: the person standing before her had truly forgotten her.
The only reason Kallen was even speaking to her now was because of a lingering thread of longing—a tiny fragment of the deep love she once felt, still echoing within this vessel.
Finally, a tear escaped the corner of Sakura's eye and traced a lonely path down her cheek.
Wow, I'm really twisting the knife here!
Kallen felt like she was leaning dangerously close to becoming a total troll.
"It's okay!" Kiana piped up, still radiating her signature high-energy optimism. "As long as you're together again, you can make new memories! As for the old stuff, we'll find a way to get it back later!"
"She's right, Kallen... I will tell you everything," Yae Sakura whispered. Her voice shook, but she forced herself to stay composed even as the tears continued to fall. "Bit by bit, I'll tell you every single thing that happened."
"Exactly." Fu Hua nodded solemnly, her eyes focused. "The man who brought you back must have intended for that. You've simply... forgotten, is all."
"No." Kallen shook her head slowly, her faint smile vanishing. "The man who resurrected me was just... using me to keep chasing that ghost in his mind."
A hint of bitterness crept into her tone before she turned her attention to Theresa.
"And I was just a tool he used to convince himself that it wasn't all an illusion. There was another one just like me—she was manufactured, too. Since tools don't need names, she only had a serial number."
Theresa's pupils shrank. She already knew what Kallen was about to say.
"The other one was A-872. I was the one who gave her the name Theresa. She was a puppet created by Otto, using the power of the Key of Corruption fused with Vishnu cells."
"Vishnu?"
Theresa's gaze turned frantic. She knew she was born from an experiment, but... but Grandpa had never used the Key of Corruption on her!
Is this... a parallel world? A different timeline with a different outcome?
"So... what happened to her?" Theresa asked, her voice trembling with a growing sense of unease.
Kallen watched her, a profound sadness washing over her features.
"She could inject bacterial Honkai Beasts into others through a bite. Within forty-eight hours, the victim would be transformed into a half-human, half-Honkai creature. And those infected..."
Kallen paused for a moment, her eyes filling with a mix of resignation and self-mockery. "The infected lose most of their senses. Their memories blur, and they develop the same bloodlust as A-872."
As Kallen laid out the details piece by piece, a horrifying image began to form in everyone's minds—a creature famous in urban legends.
A Vampire.
And worse, it was the kind of monster that would never vanish so long as the original host lived; it would only keep multiplying.
"The first day I met Theresa, I made a vow." Kallen stared at Theresa's face, her gaze heavy with grief. "If the day ever came where that girl walked toward her own destruction, I would be the one to hunt her down."
"I would pay her back with my own fake life. After all... neither of us were meant to exist in this world in the first place."
Suddenly, it all clicked. Everyone finally understood why Kallen had drawn her guns and opened fire the moment she saw Theresa.
"The other... me," Theresa murmured under her breath. "She escaped, didn't she? And she... she bit a lot of people?"
"Yes. But it's all because of me. I was the one who took her out of there. Her inability to control that hunger... that is my original sin."
Kallen took a deep breath, her gaze finally steadying into a cold calm.
"So, I hunted her without rest. And in the end... I finished her with my own hands. I expected to die right after that, but instead, the world went dark for a moment, and I woke up here."
"Then that means your theory was wrong!" Kiana shouted, her eyes blazing with conviction as she looked at Kallen. "The infected don't actually die just because the original host is killed!"
The moment the words left Kiana's mouth, Kallen's eyes widened, her expression becoming incredibly complex.
Nice one, Kiana!
If the real 'Original Sin' Kallen were here, you would have just broken her entire world with that one sentence!
Just you wait! Once this transformation wears off, I'm going to pull a stunt where I claim I'm only alive because of some 'interdimensional anomaly,' and then I'll drop dead right in front of you the moment I have to leave!
"It seems... my hunt is far from over," Kallen said with a bitter, pained smile. "How do I get back? How did I even get to your world?" Her voice took on an edge of desperation.
Theresa took a deep breath, struggling to process everything she had just heard. She looked at Kallen with a serious, determined expression.
"Kallen, you'll likely be in our world for seven days. Once those seven days are up... you can go back."
--+--
Honkai Transformations - 44
--+--
"No..."
Yae Sakura couldn't help but let out a low, trembling whisper.
"I can't... Kallen..." She looked toward Kallen, her eyes swirling with a deep, frantic sense of helplessness.
"I don't want... to lose you again..."
"Sakura..." Kallen gazed back at her. Her expression was resolute, yet she shook her head gently with a look of profound complexity. "I still have a mission to finish. I have to put an end to all of this."
"Is that so..."
Sakura lowered her head in silence. Her entire spirit seemed to wither away, her vitality draining as if through an open wound.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
You can't just lose your fighting spirit like that!
Seeing her like this, Kallen felt a sudden pang of panic. She didn't want Sakura's mental defenses to crumble because of her—that would be an open invitation for Higokumaru to seize control!
"But... we still have seven days, don't we?" Kallen reached out and gently took Sakura's hand, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "During these seven days... I want to hear it all. I want to know how you and I... met and fell in love five hundred years ago."
As those words left her lips, the light in Sakura's eyes flickered back to life.
Kallen breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"Ahem."
Himeko, who had been standing by quietly until now, gave a sharp, dry cough. She looked at Kallen with a serious expression. "Before we get ahead of ourselves... Kallen, we need to collect some blood samples from you. We have to confirm that your blood isn't carrying anything contagious."
"...Alright."
Kallen nodded, agreeing without hesitation. Her expression didn't shift in the slightest.
In the lab, the researchers—who had clearly seen enough drama to last a lifetime—stepped forward. They efficiently drew the necessary blood samples from Kallen's arm.
"Until the results are in, you'll stay here at St. Freya High. You can live with us."
"Okay," Kallen replied with another quiet nod.
"Great! We'll get a room ready for you right now!" Theresa added quickly, her eyes full of earnest intent.
"Principal," Sakura said, turning to Theresa with a hint of a plea in her voice. "Could Kallen... stay in my room with me?"
"Eh?"
Theresa blinked, momentarily caught off guard. She looked between Sakura and Kallen for a moment before finally giving a small nod. "Fine. I'll have someone move an extra bed into your room later."
"Thank you... Principal."
"Don't worry about it. After all, you two are a couple..."
At those words, Kallen's cheeks flushed a faint crimson. She looked away, caught in a mix of bashfulness and awkwardness. The heavy, stiff atmosphere from before had finally, completely dissolved.
Hell yeah!!!
Kallen was practically cheering in her head.
Another seven days of living with the Valkyries!
She couldn't even begin to imagine how many "perks" Sakura would accidentally throw her way during the next week!
However, as they were heading out, Kallen noticed Bronya standing off to the side. The girl was silently clutching that skin-tight suit in her arms.
Kallen felt a sudden, sharp tug at her heartstrings.
"What's... wrong with her?" Kallen asked, her voice tinged with confusion.
"Her name is Bronya." As Sakura looked at the girl, her own eyes filled with a brief flash of uncertainty and unease. "Her friend... much like you, came from another world. But her friend has... gone back now."
Hearing this, Kallen fell silent.
Sakura subconsciously squeezed Kallen's hand a little tighter, as if terrified she might suddenly vanish into thin air as well.
"Bronya..."
Everyone's eyes turned toward the young girl.
"Bronya is fine."
Bronya gave a small shake of her head while clutching the clothes. Her silver-grey eyes remained devoid of any visible emotion. "Forgive Bronya for making everyone worry. Bronya is fine."
"..." Kallen watched her for a moment, then gently let go of Sakura's hand and stepped forward.
She reached out and softly patted Bronya's small head.
"Your friend... she'll come back."
Bronya's eyes flickered ever so slightly. "How do you know?"
"Because... people who truly matter to you don't just disappear from your world that easily. She's definitely out there, somewhere in the future, waiting to return to your side."
Kallen's gaze was steady and sincere, as if she were stating an absolute law of the universe.
In reality, she had no idea if she'd ever be able to turn back into Seele. But the Seele in the Sea of Quanta? She'd always find a way back.
Besides, maybe this "cheat" of hers would upgrade eventually. If it did, she could choose whoever she wanted to be, rather than leaving it to a random roll of the dice.
"Mm... Bronya understands." Bronya nodded slowly, hugging the clothes in her arms a little tighter.
Kallen couldn't tell if Bronya actually believed her or not. Regardless, the girl stood up and walked out of the lab, clutching the outfit close to her chest.
Ten minutes later, they were back at St. Freya.
Sakura hadn't even rested for a moment before she darted into the kitchen and began rummaging through the ingredients.
"Sakura, what are you doing?"
Kallen watched her, a look of confusion in her eyes.
"Cooking for you," Sakura replied, turning back with a tender, focused smile. "Five hundred years ago, I used to cook for you all the time. You always said it was delicious—you ate so much every single time."
"Is that so..."
Kallen nodded. A hint of reminiscence touched her eyes, but it was overshadowed by a blank, hazy look—the look of someone who truly couldn't remember a thing.
A wave of sorrow washed over Sakura's heart once more.
Raiden Mei stood back, making no move to help. She knew that right now, Sakura wanted nothing more than to prepare this feast entirely by herself.
"Let me help."
Kallen looked at Sakura with a determined expression and started to walk over.
As if triggered by a sudden, traumatic flash of memory, Sakura's head snapped toward her as she shook her head frantically. "No... Kallen, please, let me handle it."
"Oh. Okay. I'll just wait then."
Kallen didn't push the issue.
However, Sakura's reaction told her everything she needed to know. Clearly, Sakura had been "fortunate" enough to taste Kallen's cooking five hundred years ago.
And she had survived.
Kallen couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. The "culinary skills" of the Kaslana family were legendary—legendary enough that even Otto's Soulium bodies probably couldn't handle them.
"Kallen, why don't you... come sit in the living room for a bit?" Theresa approached, speaking to Kallen with a touch of caution.
"Okay..."
Kallen nodded gently. She looked at Theresa and offered a soft, apologetic opening. "I'm sorry... Theresa. Earlier... I mistook you for her."
"It's fine, really!" Theresa shook her head vigorously. "If it were me, I probably would have done the same thing. As long as the misunderstanding is cleared up!"
"Mm..."
Kallen finally let out a smile of relief and followed Theresa into the living room to sit down.
--+--
Honkai Transformations - 45
--+--
"Kallen, you want to play a game?"
Kiana whipped out a pair of controllers, her expression turning deadly serious. "Trust me, this game is absolutely top-tier!"
"A... game?"
Kallen shook her head slightly, a flicker of embarrassment crossing her face. "I've never played anything from... this era."
"Don't sweat it! I'll show you the ropes!"
As Kiana busied herself cranking up the energy in the room, Kallen slowly began to open up, chatting with everyone gathered in the living room.
However, after a few rounds—which ended with Kallen staring blankly at the controller, unable to even grasp the basic inputs—she couldn't help but steal a glance at Fu Hua.
That look sent a jolt of tension through Fu Hua's chest.
She didn't know if the Kallen from this parallel world would still remember her.
"Um... hello. Have we... met before?" Kallen asked, watching Fu Hua's stoic, unreadable face. She played it off well, sounding just the right amount of hesitant and confused.
"Me?"
Hearing Kallen speak, Fu Hua's internal tension snapped like a taut string, replaced by relief.
She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, looking genuinely puzzled. "My apologies, Miss Kallen... but I don't believe we've ever crossed paths."
"Is that so?"
Kallen nodded slowly, a touch of self-deprecation bleeding into her eyes. "I suppose that makes sense. This is another world, after all. It's just... looking at you, I feel this faint sense of familiarity."
"Perhaps in another world, five hundred years ago, there was another version of me who actually met you?" Fu Hua suggested, her tone thoughtful and sincere.
"Whoa, wait a sec!" Kiana cut in, her face lighting up with excitement. She turned to Kallen eagerly. "Kallen, in your world, was there another version of me?"
"I'm sorry, I never saw anyone like you," Kallen replied, giving Kiana a gentle shake of her head.
"Oh. Right."
Kiana's shoulders slumped instantly.
Between the three parallel worlds they'd encountered, they had run into Yae Sakura, they knew of Bronya, and there was even a Cocolia from Anti-Entropy!
And yet, she still hadn't found a single version of herself.
"But I can tell," Kallen added, her gaze softening as she looked at Kiana with sudden intensity, "that you are a true warrior of the Kaslana line."
"Heck yeah, I am!!"
In an instant, Kiana's mood did a total 180, a wide grin breaking across her face.
"Heh-heh~ My name is Kiana Kaslana, and one day, I'm definitely going to be the strongest Valkyrie ever!"
"I believe you," Kallen said with a firm nod.
That instant, unwavering leap of faith was all it took for Kiana's "Likability Meter" for Kallen to hit the ceiling.
However...
Deep down, Kallen couldn't help but wonder: if she were to transform in the future and randomly become a "Kiana," which version would she get?
From Finality... to Flamescion... to...
The thought made her shudder involuntarily.
As long as it's not the Kiana from Houkai Gakuen 2, she prayed.
While they were lost in conversation, the scent of lunch began to drift in from the kitchen where Yae Sakura had been working. It was an intoxicating, savory aroma.
"Whoa... that smells amazing..." Kiana's head practically snapped toward the kitchen.
"Stupid Kiana. No sneaking snacks," Bronya said flatly. She acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened earlier, her voice perfectly serious.
This gave Kallen a moment of pause.
She felt like something was slightly off, but looking at Bronya's composed face, she figured she was probably just imagining things.
"Hey! I—I wasn't even thinking about that!" Kiana protested, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"Kallen, lunch is ready."
Yae Sakura's voice called out from the kitchen, cutting through Kallen's train of thought.
The group made their way to the long dining table, and Kallen took a seat right next to Sakura.
A playful, ironic thought crossed her mind: At the rate things are going, I'll probably end up sitting in every single chair at this table eventually.
The table was a feast for the eyes, crowded with a lavish spread. There was miso soup, fried fish, hearty stews, crispy tempura, sautéed mushrooms, and several delicate side dishes scattered in between.
"Kallen, these are all your old favorites." Sakura placed the final plate of fried shrimp on the table, her eyes filled with a tender, earnest warmth.
"Thank you..." Kallen looked at Sakura, a smile of pure joy and contentment spreading across her face.
Once the meal started, Kallen's "glutton" trait surged to the surface. She and Kiana went toe-to-toe, their chopsticks flying across the table in a blur of culinary bliss.
"Eat slowly, there's plenty more," Sakura whispered. Watching Kallen inhale her food with such gusto made her eyes go a little misty.
The way Kallen looked right now—utterly satisfied and genuinely blown away by how good the food tasted—was exactly how she remembered her.
Watching the scene, Himeko couldn't help but chuckle.
It felt like she was looking at a "plus-sized" version of Kiana.
The Kaslanas really are all cut from the same cloth, she thought, even the ones from other worlds.
"Looks like we're going to need to stock up on more groceries from now on."
Kiana, her cheeks bulging with food, looked over curiously. "Wh—gulp—why?"
"Because we've got another bottomless pit to feed."
Once lunch was over and everyone had rested for about half an hour, Theresa checked her phone. Her expression suddenly turned grim.
"Everyone."
Her voice was soft but sharp enough to command the room. She looked at them with a heavy seriousness. "My grandfather... is coming."
"Your... grandfather?"
Kallen blinked, momentarily stunned.
"Yes," Theresa nodded, her expression flickering with something complicated. She lowered her voice to explain. "See, in this world... I was successfully fused with Vishnu's Honkai beast cells, so..."
"So, since you weren't technically 'revived,' Otto views you as his granddaughter," Kallen finished for her.
Theresa nodded solemnly.
"As long as... he hasn't hurt you," Kallen said, her eyes clouding with a complex mix of emotions.
"I suppose that's where our worlds went in different directions," Theresa sighed, a small part of her feeling incredibly lucky.
"Alright. Let's head out to the landing pad and greet the Overseer of Schicksal."
"Right."
At the mention of Otto, Kallen's demeanor shifted, becoming focused and grave.
"Don't worry, Kallen. I won't let Grandpa lay a finger on you!" Theresa promised, giving her a reassuring, determined smile.
"I know."
Kallen met her gaze and nodded gently. But as she studied Theresa's face for a moment longer, a flicker of profound sorrow crossed her features.
It was the look of someone quietly mourning a different Theresa altogether.
--+--
Honkai Transformations - 46
--+--
"Otto..."
A moment later, standing on the tarmac, Kallen stared at a small black dot descending slowly from above—from Otto's flagship, the Brilliant Covenant.
No, wait...
Where the hell did the Brilliant Covenant even come from?!!
Kallen watched the massive, divine vessel, her eyes twitching uncontrollably.
Wrong script, hey!
What's next? Is Cocolia actually going to park the Selene right on St. Freya's front porch?!
She took a deep breath, trying her best to remain composed, but internally, she was practically clawing at the walls.
The ships from the second game were showing up now. At this rate, Kallen felt like she wouldn't even blink if characters from that timeline started popping up one by one.
"Don't worry, Kallen. We'll protect you!" At that moment, Theresa offered a determined smile, giving Kallen her word.
"Yeah," Kallen managed a strained smile in return.
You've got to be kidding...
Kallen knew better than anyone that once Otto made up his mind, there was no way Theresa could stop him. And now, she was facing the ultimate big boss of Honkai Impact 3rd—someone whose sheer pressure far exceeded the Honkai itself.
To say she wasn't nervous would be a flat-out lie.
Still, since things had already come to this, she might as well see what Otto was actually planning.
The small black dot gradually grew larger until everyone could see it clearly: a Schicksal fighter jet. It was the kind that often appeared in Homu games—the sort modeled after those old-school arcade shooters, capable of taking on two Emperor-class Honkai beasts single-handedly.
Once the jet touched down, the hatch hissed open, and a tall, slender figure stepped out.
Otto Apocalypse.
Amber followed closely behind him—the clone of Kallen who seemed to have been by Otto's side ever since the Second Honkai War.
"Otto..."
Kallen watched him. He just stood there, his silhouette rimmed with a golden glow from the sunlight. He looked breathtakingly handsome, yet the mere sight of him sent a chill down her spine.
"Kallen."
From the moment he stepped off the jet, Otto's emerald eyes had been fixed solely on her.
Then, he offered a faint smile. "I should call you that, shouldn't I?"
"Grandpa!" Theresa instinctively stepped forward, shielding Kallen, her gaze sharp with suspicion.
Otto spared her a glance and smiled. His voice was gentle, as if he were soothing a bristling kitten, layered with tenderness and a hint of playfulness. "No need to be so tense, Theresa. I won't do anything."
Kiana and the others were there too, but Otto didn't even grant them a passing glance.
"I only..." Otto's gaze moved past Theresa, settling once more on Kallen. "...came to see her."
Kallen met his eyes, a complex storm of emotions swirling in her deep blue gaze.
Her mind was racing.
That line of his—"I should call you that, shouldn't I?"—had nearly scared the life out of her. After all, Kallen definitely had skeletons in her closet.
But right now, as Otto looked at her, his eyes held a touch of cautious tenderness, as if he were gazing at a fragile piece of art.
"Kallen Kaslana," Otto murmured the name. "A version of you from another world..."
He paused there, the corners of his mouth curling upward into a smile of genuine relief and joy.
"It is an honor to meet you."
This guy... he's definitely thinking about recreating the miracle the other Otto pulled off.
But this was the Otto of the Proper World. Perhaps he wouldn't go that far; maybe he'd just settle for a few "experiments."
Kallen stared at him for a few seconds. Her eyes were a kaleidoscope of complicated feelings, as if a lifetime of thoughts had flashed by in an instant.
Finally, she let out a soft sigh and nodded. "Overseer Otto."
Those two words were simple, yet they made Otto's eyes flicker with a tremor, as if he'd just taken a heavy blow to the gut.
How do you like a taste of your own angst?
Kallen watched him, a hint of dark satisfaction rising in her heart.
To Otto—a man who had once felt inferior in front of Kallen, and who had spent centuries frantically searching for any possible way to bring her back after her death—what could be more soul-crushing than a calm, distant, and formal title?
Otto opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he only managed a smile.
It was a smile both heartened and bitter, carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken things.
"There is no need to call me Overseer," Otto said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. "Just 'Otto' will do."
Kallen looked at him but said nothing.
In that moment of silence, Yae Sakura stepped forward and gently took Kallen's hand.
Kallen blinked, startled, and looked back to meet Sakura's eyes.
Nice timing, Sakura!!!
Kallen's expression softened, her smile turning warm and gentle as she interlaced her fingers with Sakura's.
Standing to the side, Otto's gaze fell upon their joined hands. A flash of unreadable, complex emotion crossed his eyes before quickly dissolving back into his usual calm.
"Miss Yae Sakura."
Otto looked toward her and gave a slight nod, his expression poised. "Thank you for your hard work over these last five hundred years."
Sakura stared at him, remaining silent.
She remembered that Otto was Kallen's fiancé.
But... she had no intention of letting Kallen go, nor would she ever.
Otto didn't seem to mind Sakura's cold stare. He turned his attention back to Kallen and asked softly, "Kallen, may I ask you a few questions?"
Kallen thought it over and nodded.
What could he possibly want to ask? She could probably guess with her eyes closed.
"Go ahead, Otto."
"What was your world like?" Otto asked, his gaze steady and sincere.
Kallen remained silent for a few seconds before she spoke slowly. "It wasn't quite the same as this one..."
"In what way?"
Hearing Otto's follow-up, Kallen knew she had to be very clear about the origins of Sündenjäger Kallen.
After all, if she didn't explain herself well, she had every reason to suspect Otto would play dirty—like detaining her and having Fu Hua use Fenghuang Down to strip the memories right out of her head.
If that happened, things would get messy fast.
"In that world, you spent five hundred years and finally succeeded in reviving me."
The moment she said those words, Otto's pupils contracted sharply.
But Kallen's next words plunged him into a heavy silence.
"But what came back wasn't a 'whole' me. My memories were fractured. I had lost most of my senses. I knew who I was, and I knew who I had loved, but to me... all of it felt like looking through a pane of frosted glass."
Kallen gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"And the moment I was brought back, I knew. To the 'you' of that world, I was nothing more than a prop—a tool used to convince himself that the Kallen he brought back wasn't just a phantom."
--+--
Honkai Transformations - 47
--+--
Total breakdown!!
Kallen watched Otto, knowing her words had struck a nerve.
Compared to the Otto from the Sanguine Nights world, who had already glimpsed a flickering, albeit false, dawn, the Otto of this primary reality hadn't seen even a shred of hope. In these five hundred years, he had forgotten what it even felt like to be disappointed.
"And the moment I opened my eyes, I was already burdened by original sin. In the end, I walked toward destruction alongside Theresa."
Otto fell silent, standing there like a statue. If not for the faint, flickering light in his eyes, Kallen would have thought he'd gone completely numb.
Standing nearby, Kiana watched Otto with curiosity.
She remembered Theresa mentioning that her parents used to work under this man. He looked handsome enough, but for some reason, she felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to crack his skull open.
After a long silence, Otto finally spoke, his voice low. "The Otto in that world... is he happy?"
Seriously?
Kallen felt a headache coming on. She mulled it over for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't know. He never stopped searching—searching for a way to make me whole."
At this, Otto smiled. It was a smile laced with helplessness and sorrow.
"That certainly sounds like Otto."
He took a deep breath, his smile fading as he looked at Kallen. "Thank you for telling me this."
Kallen looked back at him, feeling a wave of resignation. From her perspective, she admired the man, but she didn't envy him, and she certainly didn't want to be him.
Otto was simply too tragic.
In so many parallel worlds, the vast majority of Ottos chose to challenge the Imaginary Tree, all for a single future where a Kallen might live. His tenacity was nothing short of terrifying.
"Otto," Kallen whispered, asking a question to which she already knew the answer. "Have you... ever thought about letting go?"
Otto looked at her, stunned for a heartbeat, and then a small smile played on his lips.
"No. Never."
Kallen fell into a heavy silence. Right. That was Otto. Even if Kallen herself didn't want him to do those things, he would keep going regardless. Besides, she wasn't the real Kallen.
"Kallen."
"Yes?"
"In this world, live well." Otto gazed at her, his voice soft and earnest. "Live well with Sakura. Do what you want to do, go where you want to go, and love who you want to love."
Beside them, Yae Sakura was visibly moved. She looked at Otto with a gaze full of guilt and apology. She knew Kallen had originally been Otto's fiancée; these words were essentially him entrusting Kallen to her.
"I'm sorry... Otto."
But unfortunately! Kallen was just as stubborn as Otto.
She shook her head, her gaze darkening as she refused. Her blue eyes were filled with a mix of determination, complexity, and a deep sense of powerlessness.
"My 'original sin' isn't over yet. I have to go back. I have to go back and end the disasters that started because of me—to protect those who haven't yet been hurt by my existence."
"..."
Otto was moved by her words, but eventually, he just let out a weary laugh. It was a laugh of relief, of acceptance, and a faint touch of sadness.
In that moment, he truly saw the shadow of the Saintess from five hundred years ago. Even knowing that returning to Schicksal meant death, she had gone back without hesitation, only to die at the hands of the Honkai beast he had unleashed.
"You really are..."
Otto started to speak, but suddenly—
A piercing alarm blared throughout St. Freya Academy.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The data terminal in Theresa's pocket began to vibrate violently.
"Principal! We have a situation! The Research Department has been breached! Someone stole Miss Kallen's blood samples!"
Theresa's eyes snapped wide. "What?!"
She whipped her head around to look at Otto. He remained where he was, his expression calm, a ghost of a smile touching the corners of his mouth.
"Grandpa... you!"
Typical Otto... Kallen's lip twitched. She knew he was up to no good, and she figured his visit to St. Freya wasn't just for a chat. But she hadn't expected this!
He had used himself as bait, distracting them with conversation while his people slipped into the lab to swipe her blood!
You could have just asked! It's not like I wouldn't have given it to you!
Just then, a Valkyrie dressed in the uniform of the Immortal Blades approached, carrying a silver portable cold-storage case. She stopped beside Otto.
"Overseer, mission accomplished."
"Well done," Otto nodded slightly.
Kallen looked at Otto's calm, composed face and suddenly laughed. "I should have known, Otto."
Otto gave a slight bow. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Straightening up, his gaze swept across everyone present, noting the blatant distrust and hostility on their faces. Finally, he looked back at Kallen and said softly, "Kallen, I won't hurt you. I only... want to understand you better."
Please don't... Kallen met his eyes, her thoughts a tangled mess. She really didn't want to blink and find herself locked in a lab one day.
Otto then turned to Theresa, offering a gentle smile. "Theresa, don't look at me like that. It's just a vial of blood. It won't cause Kallen any harm."
"You—!" Theresa was fuming, her face flushed with rage.
"Furthermore," Otto continued calmly, "I could have simply sent someone to steal it in secret. But I didn't. I came here myself to see you all, and to speak with you."
That condescending attitude... I really want to smack him with the Oath of Judah.
Kallen grumbled internally, then watched as Otto looked back at her one last time.
"I just... wanted to see her with my own eyes."
Kallen stared back. After a few seconds of silence, she let out a soft sigh. "Otto, you know something?"
"Hm?"
"You're really detestable when you're like this."
Otto blinked, stunned for a moment, and then he laughed. "I know."
With that, he turned and headed toward his aircraft. He took a few steps and then paused—exactly like some cheesy, over-the-top moment from a romance novel. It made Kallen's skin crawl, but she had no choice but to play along.
"Kallen."
"Yes?"
"Thank you. And..." Otto paused for a beat before finishing calmly, "...take care of yourself."
And just like that, he was gone, leaving everyone at St. Freya feeling like they had been played like a fiddle.
--+--
Honkai Transformations - 48
--+--
As Otto boarded the aircraft and departed, the Brilliant Covenant once again turned toward Schicksal headquarters, gradually disappearing into the distance.
Kallen watched the scene in silence, deep in thought.
That ship never showed up in the game...
Only then did Kiana belatedly realize what had happened.
"Uh... did we just get played?"
Himeko let out a sigh. "What else would you call it?"
Theresa was already stomping around in frustration. "Damn it! Grandpa, you jerk!"
"But..." Theresa looked over with a pitiful little expression.
"And he was right." Kallen reached out gently, her gaze soft as she stroked Theresa's head.
Theresa froze instantly. Then her cheeks slowly reddened, caught somewhere between embarrassment and happiness.
Kallen really didn't hold any hostility toward her anymore.
"He could've just sent someone else to do this," Kallen murmured, looking at the distant battleship with an unreadable expression. "But he didn't."
"Kallen..." Yae Sakura quietly took her hand.
"Let's head back."
"Yeah..." Kallen nodded softly.
After that, everyone returned to the Valkyrie dorms. Over the next day or so, things played out almost exactly like the previous loop. Together with Kallen, they visited Sapphire City and bought all sorts of daily necessities.
At this rate, Kallen was honestly starting to wonder...
Would the dorm eventually end up completely filled with her stuff while everyone else ran out of space?
And making them relive this emotional damage every seven days...
Wasn't that a little cruel?
Kallen fell into deep contemplation. But before long, she no longer had the luxury of thinking about things like that.
Because Yae Sakura had begun helping her slowly piece together memories from five hundred years ago.
"The sky was just as clear that day."
Sitting on the balcony, Sakura held Kallen's hand and spoke with quiet sincerity.
"I found you by the river outside Yae Village. You were soaked through and unconscious."
"And then?" Kallen tilted her head slightly, curiosity shining in her eyes.
"And then..." Sakura's lips curved upward faintly, as though she'd recalled a memory so precious it still lingered warmly in her heart.
"I carried you back to the shrine. You had a terrible fever. I brewed medicine for you, but you couldn't wake up to drink it, so... I had to use the oldest method there is."
Kallen blinked, still looking innocent and curious on the outside—but inside, she was absolutely losing it.
Yes. This is it. Keep going.
"What method?"
Sakura didn't answer right away. She simply looked at Kallen, her eyes filled with nostalgia and tenderness.
Here it comes~
Kallen knew exactly what was about to happen, but she still put on an adorably clueless act.
Behind them, Himeko and the others looked busy with their own things—playing games, drinking, reading, but in reality, every single one of them had their ears perked up, shamelessly eavesdropping on the conversation happening out on the balcony.
"Like this..." Sakura gently cupped Kallen's face.
Before Kallen could even pretend to react, Sakura leaned down and kissed her.
—!!!
Kallen's eyes flew wide open.
The living room instantly fell dead silent.
Kiana's game controller smacked onto the floor with a loud clatter. Mei dropped the cookbook she was holding. Himeko nearly spat out her drink.
And Theresa...
Her face flushed just as red as Kallen's in an instant.
Because before, Raiden Ei had used the exact same method to feed her warm water mouth-to-mouth.
"Mmph—"
The moment the memory resurfaced, Theresa immediately covered her burning cheeks and curled herself deeper into the couch.
Thankfully, nobody was paying attention to her right now.
"Young love..." Himeko chuckled.
But after only a second, the smile faded. Then she abruptly took another large swig of alcohol, looking thoroughly unwilling to accept reality.
"Y-You people at Schicksal..." Sin stammered. "Do... do you all play this hard?"
Out on the balcony—
Sakura slowly pulled away from Kallen and lightly licked her lips. Looking at Kallen's bright-red, completely stunned expression, she smiled gently.
"That's how I fed you medicine five hundred years ago."
Kallen opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but her brain had already fully crashed.
"You made that exact same face back then too." Sakura looked at her fondly. "All dazed and silly. It was adorable."
Heh... hehe...
Kallen took a deep breath, trying desperately to calm herself down.
But no matter what she did, it was impossible.
"S-So... it really happened like that before?"
"Mhm."
Seeing the certainty in Sakura's eyes, Kallen's face turned even redder. She had no idea what to say anymore.
After that, Sakura continued telling her stories from five hundred years ago.
How they fought side by side.
How they made promises beneath the sakura tree.
How she taught Kallen to use chopsticks.
How they gathered mushrooms and medicinal herbs together in the forest outside the village.
In the games and manga, those moments only took up a tiny portion of the story, but in reality, that stretch of time had been long and full of memories. For example, it was during that period that they met Raiden Mei's ancestor, Hokushin Mei.
Kallen listened quietly, nodding from time to time and occasionally asking questions.
She realized that lately, she'd started loving these stories more and more—the stories the Valkyries told her about herself.
It gave her a strange sense of immersion.
As though she really was the character she'd transformed into, and that she truly had shared those thrilling experiences with them long ago.
And when night finally came...
"Haa..."
Kallen stood beneath the shower, letting the warm water cascade down her body.
Taking a bath really was one of life's greatest pleasures...
Especially when she could look in the mirror and admire what she looked like now.
Glancing at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, Kallen couldn't help feeling a little restless.
Come to think of it, she'd never really taken the time to properly look at her transformed body before.
Was life just too fulfilling lately?
Well, since the thought had crossed her mind now... she might as well enjoy it a little.
The moment that idea appeared, excitement bubbled up inside her.
Her hand slid to her collarbone, about to slowly trace downward—
Knock knock.
The bathroom door was suddenly tapped from outside.
"Kallen." Sakura's gentle voice came through the door.
"Sakura? What is it?" Kallen froze mid-motion, guiltily pulling her hands away from herself like she'd just been caught doing something embarrassing. Her heart skipped a beat as she turned toward the door.
"May I come in?" Sakura asked calmly from outside, in the same casual tone someone might use to ask whether you'd eaten dinner yet.
--+--
Honkai Transformations - 49
--+--
Kallen's eyes widened slightly as she listened to her.
How on earth was Yae Sakura able to say something like that so calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world?
If Kallen herself had been the one to say it, she would've already prepared herself for total social death on the spot.
But from Yae Sakura's tone… it really sounded like she didn't think anything of it at all.
"W-wait a second! I'm taking a bath!" Kallen blurted out. In truth, she very much wanted Yae Sakura to come in and share a bath with her—an intimate, couples' bath.
And maybe… finally vent some of that frustration she'd been holding back from all her time with Bronya, where she'd never quite managed to make a move.
But she still put on an embarrassed front, trying to refuse.
However, what Yae Sakura said next made Kallen's brain briefly short-circuit.
"I know," she replied calmly and seriously. "That's why I'm here to help you wash."
Kallen froze for a moment, then felt her face heat up instantly. She liked this sort of thing—very much so—but being hit with such a direct approach like this was a first.
Even Bronya, who had been the most aggressive of them all, only ever dared to kiss her on the cheek!
But Yae Sakura had just walked in and openly said she was going to help her bathe!!!
Kallen could already imagine the expressions everyone in the living room must have right now—like they'd just seen a ghost.
"N-no need! I can do it myself!" Kallen said, genuinely flustered and a little panicked now.
"But…" Yae Sakura paused slightly, then said with a rare hint of seriousness, "Five hundred years ago, whenever you were sick, I was the one who used to—" Before she could finish, Kallen yanked the bathroom door open, grabbed Yae Sakura by the wrist, and pulled her straight inside.
In the living room, Kiana and the others all had their eyes widened, cheeks flushed red.
"So people back then were this… open?" Kiana murmured in disbelief.
Fu Hua's mouth twitched. She wanted to explain, but even she didn't know where to begin.
Her memories were incomplete too. But people from fifty thousand years ago definitely were not like this!
"Sakura… so, uh…" Kallen stammered, her face flushed as she looked away in embarrassment.
How was she supposed to explain this?!
She liked this sort of thing, yes—but she absolutely wasn't the type to say it out loud in front of everyone!
"Kallen," Yae Sakura said softly, ignoring everything else. Instead, she looked almost… happy.
She stepped forward, lifting her hand, and her fingertips lightly brushed across Kallen's shoulder.
A strange shiver shot through her body instantly—like a spark of electricity spreading from her shoulder all the way through her.
Kallen's legs nearly gave out beneath her.
"Let me help you. Okay?"
Kallen opened her mouth to refuse… but she also didn't want to refuse.
In the end, she sighed internally.
She was the one who pulled her in here, after all.
Facing Yae Sakura's gentle, almost overwhelming gaze, Kallen felt her embarrassment surge fully to the surface.
Unlike when she teased Theresa or Kiana—where she always took the lead—this time…
"…Mm." She could only nod slightly.
Yae Sakura smiled, clearly pleased.
"Kallen, sit down."
She guided Kallen to a small stool inside the bathroom, then knelt down behind her.
Why did it suddenly feel like something was pressing against her back?
Kallen felt a strange unease.
Like she was the one being… handled.
Odd.
Yae Sakura squeezed body wash into her palm, worked it into soft foam, then gently applied it to Kallen's back.
"Ah…" Kallen's body trembled slightly at the cool sensation.
Yae Sakura's hands were soft.
And worse—she seemed to know exactly where she was sensitive.
Her hands glided from Kallen's shoulders, along her spine, and down the sides of her back, massaging every point that made her shiver faintly with pleasure.
This feeling… like she was completely being seen through…
Kallen couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly, her breathing growing a bit uneven.
"Kallen, are you nervous?"
Yae Sakura's voice came from right behind her ear—so close she could feel warm breath brushing against her earlobe.
A wave of tingling sensation ran through Kallen's scalp instantly.
"I-I'm not…"
"But your back is tense."
Kallen was completely cornered and left speechless.
Thankfully, Yae Sakura didn't press further, allowing her to relax slightly. But the next moment, Yae Sakura moved in front of her.
"Ah—!"
Kallen's eyes widened as she saw Yae Sakura kneel right before her.
Her skin, pale and smooth, glistened under the water droplets, making her look almost unbearably alluring.
"Your front needs washing too."
Yae Sakura said this casually, her hands still covered in foam.
Kallen's face turned even redder.
She closed her eyes… then stubbornly opened them again.
And then—
Yae Sakura's hands moved from her shoulders to her arms, then to her collarbone. When they finally lingered a little too long near her chest, Kallen's entire body jolted.
"Relax… Kallen."
She's definitely doing this on purpose.
After the bath, Kallen curled up under her blanket, her mind a complete mess. Even if someone was naturally oblivious, there was no way they wouldn't realize those areas were sensitive—very sensitive.
But Yae Sakura had still touched them.
Even now, buried in her blankets, Kallen felt like her face was burning as if she had a fever.
Why was everything completely under Yae Sakura's control?!
Kallen felt both flustered and annoyed.
Normally, when she was with Theresa or Kiana, she was the one controlling the pace.
Even with Bronya—it had been her own subtle guidance.
But Yae Sakura… everything had been in her hands from the beginning.
The more Kallen thought about it, the more frustrated she became.
Until—
The bedroom door opened. Yae Sakura had finished cleaning and returned.
"Ah!" The moment Kallen heard it, her body tensed up again.
That lingering, electrifying sensation hadn't fully faded yet—and now it surged back.
"Kallen."
Yae Sakura walked to the bedside without hesitation, gently pulling back the blanket and slipping inside.
Her arms wrapped around Kallen's waist.
"Can I sleep with you?"
Her voice was warm, soft, and full of expectation.
Kallen turned her head slightly, meeting Yae Sakura's blue eyes, her expression still flustered.
"You already climbed in…"
"Because I want to sleep with you," Yae Sakura said earnestly.
Under that gaze, Kallen was still shy—but deep down, she felt a faint sense of satisfaction.
You were the one who said it.
She could even feel Yae Sakura's softness pressing gently against her back through the thin fabric.
"…Okay," she muttered, pretending to be reluctant as she closed her eyes. She waited, curious about what would happen next.
But…
Yae Sakura only leaned in and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. Then she whispered good night, closed her eyes, and simply held her as she drifted off to sleep.
Leaving Kallen wide awake, staring at the ceiling in total disbelief.
That's it?
--+--
Honkai Transformations - 50
--+--
The next two days drifted by, peaceful and warm.
Life was going so smoothly that Kallen started to feel a nagging sense of suspicion—the kind of gut feeling that usually means fate is brewing a massive storm just to mess with you.
But after turning it over in her mind, she couldn't find anything actually wrong.
After all, the main events of Honkai Impact 3rd hadn't even kicked off yet. Kiana and the others hadn't even sat for their Valkyrie rank exams.
With those thoughts in mind, Kallen's nerves finally settled.
During the day, Sakura would take her on long strolls around the academy, visiting the cherry blossom groves and the training grounds. At night, Sakura would whip up something delicious just for her.
Occasionally, Kiana would drag Kallen into a gaming session.
However, it was as if some mysterious cosmic force was correcting the timeline—Kallen found herself completely fumbling with the controller, unable to make sense of the buttons.
And then there was... that.
The greatest source of Kallen's silent frustration was the fact that every single night, Sakura would simply hold her as they drifted off to sleep, and absolutely nothing else happened!
It was always the same: a gentle kiss on the cheek, a soft "goodnight," and then Sakura would be fast asleep.
Kallen was practically itching with restless energy, yet she couldn't find a way to break the ice. She was reaching the point where she wanted to start cursing at the ceiling in pure exasperation.
That lasted until this afternoon...
"Grandpa's back..." Theresa muttered, her small face tight with tension as she looked up. She watched the Brilliant Covenant cruise through the sky as if it owned the place.
Standing beside Theresa, Kallen looked on with a mix of confusion.
What was Otto doing back here?
She had already given him the blood sample. Knowing Otto, and considering the intel she'd dropped, he should be buried neck-deep in research right now.
And yet, Kallen was certain of one thing: Otto was here for her.
A fighter jet detached from the Brilliant Covenant, gliding down gracefully until it touched down on the landing pad right in front of Kallen and Theresa.
Otto stepped out from the hatch.
Only this time, he wasn't alone.
A young woman followed him—short, silver-gray hair, dressed in a black lace maid's uniform. Her long, slender legs were clad in an alluring pair of black stockings.
Rita Rossweisse.
What is she doing here? Kallen wondered, her suspicion deepening.
"Grandpa, what do you want this time?" Theresa demanded, eyeing him warily.
Otto smiled, his gaze drifting past Theresa—or rather, not even bothering with her in the first place.
He looked straight at Kallen.
"Kallen, may we have a word? There are some matters of great importance I wish to discuss with you in private."
It must have been truly serious. Otto hadn't even bothered with his usual schemes; he had flown straight from the European headquarters just to see her face-to-face, without so much as a greeting to Theresa.
Kallen's expression grew solemn.
Beside her, Sakura's hand instinctively tightened around hers.
"It's okay, Sakura," Kallen whispered, giving the other woman a reassuring look. She gently squeezed Sakura's fingers before letting go.
"Let's go."
Kallen walked toward Otto.
With a slight turn of his body, Otto gestured for her to follow him into the jet.
Kallen didn't hesitate. She stepped inside.
The jet took off immediately, soaring back toward the massive deck of the Brilliant Covenant. However, once they touched down on the expansive flight deck, Otto didn't ask her to follow him into the ship's interior. Instead, he led her toward the very edge of the deck.
"Kallen."
Otto stood by her side, falling silent for several seconds before he finally spoke. "There is something I need to tell you. Something... concerning your life and death."
Kallen's heart skipped a beat.
About her life and death?
What could it be? Was Otto trying to threaten her?
No, he wouldn't do that.
Thoughts raced through her mind like wildfire before she finally looked at him and asked softly, "What is it?"
Otto's gaze turned uncharacteristically grim.
"How have these past few days at St. Freya been for you?"
"They've been great. Why?"
Kallen nodded. Honestly, it had been fantastic—aside from Sakura being a total blockhead who did nothing but cuddle at night.
Otto didn't answer directly. Instead, he pressed further. "Have you felt any physical discomfort? For instance... fatigue? Or perhaps a dulling of your senses in certain parts of your body?"
Kallen blinked, startled. She shook her head. "No. Everything feels normal."
Even as she answered, a realization dawned on her. "Otto... is it my body? Was there something wrong with the blood?"
Otto nodded, his brow furrowed as he stared intensely at her.
"Kallen, I have to tell you... your current condition is highly unusual. It's dangerous."
Well, obviously, Kallen thought. She still felt a pang of guilt whenever she faced him. If Otto ever found out the full truth about her situation, he'd probably lose his mind.
"In your world, you were resurrected after Theresa—the one fused with the power of the Herrscher of Corruption—consumed your blood. You became a hybrid, part human and part Honkai Beast," Otto's voice grew heavy and complex.
"Therefore, your life is—just as you told me—bound to the Theresa of that other world."
Kallen remained silent. The vibrant energy she had regained while living with Sakura and the others began to fade, replaced by a somber shadow.
"Kallen." Otto watched her, his emerald eyes swirling with unreadable emotions.
"I've spent the last few days analyzing your blood samples. The results show... every single cell in your body is currently in a state of inactivation."
"Inactivation?" Kallen's brow twitched at the word.
"Yes."
Otto nodded, his voice dropping to a low, hollow tone. "In other words, the only reason your body can still move, think, and feel is because..."
"I haven't realized that I'm actually already dead. Is that it?"
Kallen finished his sentence for him, her gaze fixed on him with a complicated expression.
Otto fell silent.
He stared at her intensely, as if he were genuinely terrified that the moment those words left her lips, she might simply cease to exist.
He had spent days obsessively researching her blood. Every single test yielded the same result: the blood belonged to someone who had just died. It was only because of the bacterial-type Honkai Beasts within her system that she hadn't collapsed immediately.
He had reached a grim conclusion.
Taking a deep breath, he fought to keep his voice steady.
Yet, that slight edge of urgency and heaviness was exactly the same as it had been five hundred years ago, when he stood outside her cell begging her to give up on her ideals.
"Kallen, you are only alive now because you left that world. You broke the tether. But if you were to return..."
"I would die."
Kallen finished the thought for him.
--+--