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

When Kiana woke up, Siegfried had already left.

Leaning against Zeke's shoulder, she noticed the sky gradually brightening. She seemed unsurprised by Siegfried's absence and waking up nestled in Zeke's arms.

"Zeke..."

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Zeke's response was as cool and indifferent as usual.

Kiana sat upright, facing Zeke. After a moment of hesitation, she gently shook his arm.

"Zeke, could you please help my dad? He's such a klutz; he might get himself into trouble alone."

"I'll consider it," Zeke replied nonchalantly.

Fun fact:

Whenever Kiana used her charm for reasonable requests, Zeke virtually always agreed—nearly a hundred percent success rate. Even for unreasonable demands, her batting average still stood at over seventy percent.

Thus, charm was Kiana's secret weapon. Although she didn't consciously track these statistics, she knew it worked wonders.

"Thanks, Zeke! Mwah~"

Kiana gave him a peck on the cheek as both gratitude and a small bonus.

In response, Zeke displayed an unmistakable expression of disgust.

"You haven't brushed your teeth yet."

"Well, you haven't washed your face either! If I don't mind, who are you to reject this beautiful young lady?" Kiana placed her hands on her hips and proudly lifted her chin.

"Snap!"

Zeke grabbed Kiana's small head with both hands, preparing for his signature Electric Dragon Drill maneuver.

"Huh?!?"

Kiana forced a charming smile, but couldn't hide the cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.

"Don't...just...kiss...random...boys!"

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ah!!!"

Time flies like an arrow; days slip away like a shuttle.

Okay, maybe not that fast.

Over three quiet months, Kiana and Sin's devilish training regimen steadily intensified.

Zeke had been extremely busy during this period: absorbing diverse knowledge, conducting various experiments, occasionally having late-night heart-to-hearts with Otto. He also worked on building his reputation within Anti-Entropy to rally supporters and establish his own team—after all, he couldn't function as an Enforcer without any backing.

Fortunately, Cocolia understood her role well, eagerly playing second fiddle. Zeke grew increasingly familiar with the talents at the orphanage, feeling optimistic about their future prospects.

Meanwhile, Siegfried arrived at the Mediterranean Sea.

With La'Zar's robotic arm and a cigarette dangling from his mouth, Siegfried swaggered onto Otto's turf with nonchalant ease.

"Siegfried, for fuck's sake, calm down—you're asking for death!"

"If you stop cursing me out so much, I wouldn't be 'asking for it,' Theresa."

"You bastard! I've already told you—I'm still searching for Kiana's location! Going there without knowing where she is would be suicide!"

"It's futile. If Otto wants to keep something hidden, you won't find it. The only way is for me to storm through and search by force. Alright, enough talk; seems like my reception committee has arrived... By the way, that bitter melon juice at your place tastes just as awful as before. It left a lingering bitterness in my mouth."

Theresa's shouts vanished completely as Siegfried crushed his phone in his hand.

Then, scratching his head, he surveyed the circle of Valkyries surrounding him—many familiar faces, but also some newcomers he didn't recognize, likely recent additions to their ranks.

"Hey! Long time no see, everyone. Here I am again for another visit!"

"Siegfried, surrender quietly this time! Unlike our last encounter, you have two options to reach Headquarters: either bound and restrained or... carried up lifeless!"

"What? I can get carried to Headquarters by Valkyries now? Otto sure knows how to have fun! Hey, why didn't you tell me last time?! Now I've missed out on such an experience! Ha ha ha!"

"You're unrepentant! All Valkyries, activate combat protocol level one—prepare for battle!"

Unique armor appeared on each Valkyrie. Armor, yes—but it looked more like skimpy cosplay outfits. At first glance, all Siegfried could see were exposed thighs, slender waists, and toned bellies. With every Valkyrie blessed with exceptional beauty, ranging from cute to aloof, curvaceous to heartbreakingly charming, they presented a tantalizing visual feast.

As Siegfried had quipped, Otto certainly knew how to play around!

Siegfried then drew his dual pistols.

Jokes aside, never underestimate any Valkyrie. They possessed formidable physical prowess, unwavering determination, and rigorous training, complemented by their custom-made, immensely powerful armor.

When discussing Schicksal, one must mention the Valkyries; likewise, mentioning the Valkyries invariably brings up Schicksal. The Valkyries formed the backbone of Schicksal's confidence in combating Honkai, commanding respect worldwide—at least publicly.

"To be honest, I don't want to fight you. Can't we just let each other pass?"

"How dare a traitor utter such words?" The leader of the Valkyries clenched her fists, generating a fierce gust that signaled the start of the battle.

Siegfried sighed and lightly leaped, narrowly avoiding several Valkyries' heavy punches that shattered the solid stone beneath him.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to approach a Kaslana until fully prepared?"

Gracefully landing, Siegfried kicked off, twirled his gun, and moved effortlessly like a fish gliding through water, striking vital points on multiple Valkyries with fluid precision. Finally, the black barrel of his weapon aimed at the lone unfamiliar Valkyrie, still stunned.

"Until next time, beautiful lady. Goodbye!"

Bam!

Leaving a burn mark on her forehead, the curvaceous figure collapsed backward, joining the other Valkyries who had approached Siegfried too closely.

"Hmph! It seems losing your arm barely affected you. This mechanical limb must be courtesy of those Anti-Entropy rats, eh? You've truly fallen from grace, Siegfried!"

"You can say what you want; under Otto's brainwashing, my explanations won't matter."

"Insolent! How dare you show such disrespect to Lord Archbishop!"

"I don't care. I'd rather put a bullet in his head anyway, so why should words bother me? Here's the thing: unlike last time, I'm now fully mentally prepared. If anyone stands in my way, even old friends, I won't hesitate to use force when necessary."

The leader of this vanguard intercepting force was Enovia, a black-haired girl with violet eyes. Despite her youthful appearance, she was already an experienced A-rank Valkyrie and Siegfried's former comrade.

Upon hearing Siegfried's warning, a hint of sorrow flashed through Enovia's seemingly indifferent gaze before it transformed into unwavering determination and utter coldness.

"First and Third Squads, execute Tactic B-3; Second Squad, charge directly; Seventh Squad, free fire; remaining squads, provide flexible support. Go!"

"Yes!" × N

A barrage of diverse attacks rained down from all directions, as relentless as thunderbolts or torrential storms.

Siegfried took a deep breath, his expression turning grim, shedding any trace of his earlier nonchalance.

Ducking sideways, he evaded a powerful punch aimed at him head-on. With a swift strike from his gunstock, Siegfried sent the Valkyrie staggering. As her footing faltered, he swiftly aimed the barrel at her temple and fired a Heaven's Fire bullet, propelling her dozens of meters away.

Siegfried countered kicks with kicks, clashing against the Valkyries' assaults.

On their calves were leg guards far stronger than steel, while Siegfried only had ordinary fabric covering his legs. Yet, upon impact, the sturdy leg armor shattered under Siegfried's kick, accompanied by the chilling sound of bones breaking within the Valkyrie's leg, sending shivers up one's spine.

Her face paled, yet seemingly unaffected by pain, she unleashed another powerful kick aimed at Siegfried's face.

With one hand, Siegfried tossed his gun upward and swiftly grabbed her ankle. With a swift jerk, he slammed her onto the ground. Blood spurted from her mouth, splattering across Siegfried's face. Unfazed, he raised his remaining pistol, took aim, and fired, striking her forehead with a bullet.

"Bang!"

"Ugh!"

A glaring burn mark appeared on her fair forehead as she went still—not dead; Siegfried had no intention of killing any Valkyries. She merely slipped into unconsciousness, temporarily unable to continue fighting.

Simultaneously, several specially designed Honkai energy armor-piercing rounds targeted Siegfried's head, heart, and limbs, piercing through the air towards him.

"Firing guns in front of a Kaslana? Are you serious?" Siegfried taunted, resembling an invincible Great Demon King. The single Heaven's Fire pistol spun effortlessly in his hand, deflecting these terrifyingly potent armor-piercing rounds amidst metallic clangs.

Then, the gun he had earlier thrown aloft descended back into his grasp.

"Now, witness the true Marksmanship Arts of the Kaslanas! Brace yourselves!"

In the sky, within the observation room, Otto watched Siegfried's relentless combat display and took a sip of his tea.

"The original Siegfried was merely comparable to an S-Class Valkyrie. I always considered him just a tool to unleash Judgment of Shamash during critical moments. Never did I expect him to become such a formidable adversary now."

Despite referring to Siegfried as troublesome, a composed yet intrigued smile graced Otto's lips as he observed the battle unfolding on the screen.

During the Second Honkai Eruption, Siegfried repeatedly pushed beyond his limits. Through enhancements by last century's bio-engineering drugs, he unlocked the Honkai Beast genes within himself, unleashing a terrifyingly overwhelming power.

This display prompted Otto, driven by fear at that time, to issue orders for Siegfried's elimination.

However, upon reflection, Otto realized this reaction was unwarranted. Having just confronted the God of Honkai, his consciousness had been severely shaken, leaving him in a state of extreme insecurity. Unable to think clearly or make sound decisions, he impulsively ordered the detonation of the Honkai Energy fission bomb.

By then, it was too late to reverse course; all he could do was follow through with the plan.

But now, facing Siegfried, Otto felt no fear, only curiosity—wondering how long this formidable opponent could hold out against him. That was all.

Naturally, Otto remained deeply interested in both the Judgment of Shamash and Siegfried's corpse, determined to secure them for himself.