Honkai Diary: Start With Picking Up A White-Haired Treasure

In the early hours of dawn, Kiana arrived at Ulu Town.

Just as Zeke had surmised, with no clear destination in mind, she couldn't resist the allure of those flavored cakes. Her first step upon leaving was to head straight here for a taste of her beloved treats.

The sky began to lighten, but the bakery didn't open until 9 AM, meaning she'd have to wait for her delectable indulgence.

Anticipating those soul-stirring flavored cakes, despite walking all night, Kiana felt not a hint of fatigue; instead, her energy surged.

However, she wasn't one to simply sit and wait. Since the cakes were still out of reach, she decided to grab some breakfast to tide herself over first.

Thus, she ventured to a breakfast spot that had left a favorable impression on her before.

"Miss Kiana, long time no see! Here for breakfast again today? Where's your brother?"

Kiana unloaded the various packages from her back, placing them nearby, and rolled her eyes, responding, "How many times do I have to say it? That guy isn't my brother. Anyway, forget about that—I'll take an extra-large breakfast, pronto."

"Certainly, please wait just a moment."

The waitress approached the counter with a smile. She didn't really care why Kiana was carrying so many packages and dining alone; she only knew this meant more money for her, which was enough. As humans, everyone is busy—unless tragedy unfolds right before their eyes, most people don't have time to concern themselves with others' affairs beyond their own lives.

In no time, a larger plate piled high with bacon, fried eggs, toast, and other breakfast items was set before Kiana.

Licking her lips, Kiana eagerly dug in, utensils clinking against her plate. Thankfully, Zeke's teachings had left some impression on her: although she ate quickly, she at least used her cutlery properly instead of shoveling food directly with her hands.

Soon, the massive plate was spotlessly clean, almost as if she'd licked it clean herself.

Kiana patted her slightly satisfied belly, sighed contentedly, hesitated briefly, but decided against ordering seconds.

"The stomach has its limits. To save room for more cake later, moderation at breakfast is key."

"Ah, even I am growing up, learning to make choices among delicious foods now."

Kiana mentally puffed out her chest with pride, feeling just a tad less sorrowful about their parting. She stood up, pulled some bills from her pocket, and slapped them on the table as she prepared to leave.

BOOM! Just then, a deafening explosion echoed from the far end of the town's main street to the east.

Instinctively turning toward the sound, Kiana saw flames and thick smoke rising high into the sky. On the wind came not only panicked screams and chaos but also a peculiarly familiar scent.

Squinting, she focused beyond the dense plumes, faintly discerning several massive silhouettes. One by one, colossal white beasts burst through the haze, emitting earth-shattering roars as they trampled relentlessly toward the center of town.

"Agh! Wh-what are those things?"

"Run! Hurry—get away from the town as fast as you can!" Kiana nearly bellowed, startling the already shaken bystanders once more.

Realizing something was terribly wrong, the townsfolk finally heeded their instincts and scattered in all directions.

Kiana began to run as well—but not away from danger. Instead, she sprinted straight toward the Honkai Beast.

She only grabbed one item—a bag containing her weapons and gear.

As she ran, she drew both pistols. After a brief moment of hesitation, she resolutely ejected the standard magazines and loaded them with custom-made Honkai Energy rounds designed by Zeke.

"Miss, this unit detects significant Honkai Energy signatures ahead. You cannot handle it alone; I recommend retreating in the opposite direction."

"Enough chatter! If the Kaslanas all flee, who'll protect civilians? Oh right, help me contact Zeke—tell him to hurry up and escape with Vera! They're not far from here—it's too dangerous!" Kiana shouted at the black bracelet on her wrist.

The edges of the bracelet flashed red for a moment before Icarus responded:

"Miss, there is an anomaly."

"Huh?"

"This unit has lost its ability to communicate externally. It can be inferred that within this area, someone is disrupting external communication through electromagnetic interference or physical disconnection. The scope, instigator, and purpose of this disruption are unknown."

"So you're saying... huff... huff...you can't reach Zeke?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Dammit! Just when we need him most!" Kiana cursed between heavy breaths.

Though she didn't know what was happening, they had to find a way to alert Zeke and his team quickly so they could escape. But there were also many residents here directly threatened by danger.

Kiana gritted her teeth, maintaining her course but picking up speed.

She knew she couldn't single-handedly defeat a whole group of Honkai Beasts, but perhaps she could buy some time and save a few people. Once most townsfolk had evacuated, would it be too late for her to return to the city with the news?

Besides, Zeke is incredibly smart; maybe he'd already sense something amiss and make a run for it ahead of time?

In any case, she couldn't abandon those currently facing imminent peril right before her eyes.

With a flick of both hands, Kiana disengaged the safety on her guns amidst clicking sounds as she arrived beneath the looming Honkai Beast.

"Roooar!"

The colossal creature let out a deafening roar, its massive hooves—spanning several meters wide—descended from above, heading straight toward two little girls cowering together, screaming and trembling.

"Look out!"

Kiana charged straight toward the girls.

"BOOM!"

The iron hoof shattered bricks upon impact, leaving a crater three feet deep.

Unaware of anything amiss, the Honkai Beast lifted its leg and continued forward—oblivious to Kiana slipping away with the two little girls tucked under her arms right beneath it.

However, while colossal Honkai Beasts had visual blind spots, smaller flying variants were far more alert.

Just as Kiana reached the edge of a broken wall, several winged beasts, each about three feet tall, swooped down from above with flapping wings.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Bullets fired rapidly, striking their targets precisely and taking them out effortlessly. The excessive recoil left Kiana's hands slightly numb.

"Not bad for firepower," she marveled.

Based on her experience battling Honkai Beasts, ordinary bullets couldn't even scratch their hide. Yet Zeke's Honkai Energy bullets pierced straight through, delivering instant kills—an impressive feat indeed.

At the same time, something felt off about these guns.

"I hope they hold up until I run out of ammo..."

Kiana glanced at her dual pistols before turning around to crouch in front of the two sisters.

"Listen carefully, we're going to break through in that direction, and you both must stay close, understand?"

The frightened girls nodded repeatedly. Driven by their survival instinct, they managed to stand, supporting each other.

Kiana sighed with relief; carrying them both would have made their escape exponentially harder.

"Let's move!"

Surrounded by Honkai Beasts, Kiana knew they couldn't afford to waste any time. Without hesitation, she picked a route that seemed relatively safer and charged ahead.

"Bam!"

"Bang! Bang!"

"Hah!"

Gunshots, sounds of fists striking flesh, and the girl's fierce battle cries became the soundtrack of their journey.

Of course, injuries and setbacks were inevitable as well.

After about ten minutes, they reached a narrow alley where Honkai Beasts were scarce. Kiana wiped away blood from her face, tore off a piece of her skirt, and hastily wrapped it around her bleeding wrist.

Then, turning toward the still-shaken sisters, she flashed them a bright smile. "Are you two okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Big Sister."

"You're welcome. While we can, let's keep moving farther away from those monsters—the more distance between us and them, the better. Even if you want to find your families, I suggest waiting until this is all over—it's too dangerous right now. And if you see anyone else along the way, tell them to run!"

"We understand. You stay safe too, Big Sister."

Kiana flashed them a confident thumbs-up gesture. Despite being just a young girl herself, her radiant smile with gleaming teeth made her seem like an unyielding warrior, fearless in the face of danger.

"All right, I'm off to rescue more people now. May we meet again!"

With that, Kiana retraced her steps back towards where she had broken through earlier.

No longer needing to watch over anyone, Kiana could now cautiously navigate between various shelters, weaving through the throngs of beasts. Soon, she encountered a trembling mother and child huddled amidst the ruins.

"Don't be afraid, I'll protect you both!"

Bathed against the sunlight, they saw the wounded yet determined Little Kiana, smiling brightly at them.

In that moment, with her white hair disheveled, panting heavily, but radiating warmth through her grin, she was like a beacon of light.