Collapse Iron: Today's mount is the female protagonist.

Page 26

And that incredibly warm embrace made her feel so safe and secure. In that moment of gentle comfort, she felt an unprecedented tranquility, a tingling sensation in her heart.

Kiana, Kiana...

As she gazed at the other person's face, she gradually became engrossed, and a strange emotion quietly arose in her heart.

Looking at that peaceful and beautiful sleeping face, she couldn't help but want to get closer.

Slow down your breathing and approach gently.

Even breaths entered my ears, and a delicate, pleasant fragrance lingered around my nose.

Kiana smells so good.

Unable to contain her thoughts, Mei gently rubbed her legs and held her breath, unsure why she was so nervous.

She breathed very softly and moved closer and closer to him, her heart pounding faster and faster with each step.

They're getting closer and closer.

Her thin, moist lips almost touched the other person's fair and delicate cheek.

But suddenly, as if sensing that something had finally been disturbed, Kiana's sleeping brows furrowed slightly, causing Raiden Mei's breath to catch in her throat and her heart to pound almost to its limit.

"Hmm~ Mei, what's wrong~" Kiana rubbed her eyes, still sleepy, and said in a slightly drowsy voice.

Raiden Mei: “…”

Suddenly, I felt completely bored.

"It's nothing, you can go back to sleep." Raiden Mei was silent for a moment, then answered softly, her emotions unknown.

"Hmm... okay." Kiana murmured a few drowsy words before falling back into a sweet sleep.

Lying back down, Raiden Mei, alone, found it even harder to fall asleep, staring blankly at the ceiling.

After a long while, she covered her flushed cheeks, feeling ashamed of everything she had just done.

What am I doing?!

Kiana has changed so much.

To be precise, Kiana can change a lot at times.

In the quiet of the night, after clearing away the clutter, the thoughts that had previously made me feel like I had discovered something became clear.

She remembered the impulsive and energetic Kiana from their past interactions, the Kiana who was like a goddess, and the Kiana who talked to her gently at night.

Two completely different temperaments, because the daytime impression was so overturned, finally made me realize this.

This left Raiden Mei somewhat disoriented.

Even so, she was absolutely certain that the other person was Kiana, and she would never forget that care and the warmth she felt when they were together.

In the end, she could only come up with one explanation.

Could it be that Kiana has a second personality?

It is said that people who have suffered a major psychological trauma in their childhood may develop two personalities.

Kiana lost her only father when she was very young, leaving her to wander alone and endure years of hardship and suffering.

Such a huge blow must have left a deep psychological trauma on his young mind. Unable to bear it, he developed a strong and reliable second personality that would appear to solve all problems in times of crisis.

Thinking this way, Raiden Mei felt it was even more likely.

With this thought in mind, she recalled the changes she had sensed in Kiana before, and how she suddenly seemed to have a different personality when they were together. Suddenly, everything became clear and transparent to her.

It turns out that Kiana didn't suddenly change; rather, she saw another Kiana personality.

Raiden Mei felt she had discovered the truth.

She didn't find it uncomfortable at all; on the contrary, she thought having a second personality was incredibly cool.

Raiden Mei secretly glanced at Kiana beside her, and for some reason, she couldn't help but feel a little smug when she came to this conclusion.

In the bleak night, in the still of the deep, Siegfried stood on the rooftop of a building, quietly watching the Raiden House in the distance, its lights extinguished.

His face, framed by white hair, bore the marks of time, and his unkempt stubble gave him a profound sense of middle-aged vicissitude. He put a cigarette into his mouth with his one arm, and wisps of smoke dissipated into the air.

His eyes seemed to be lost in past memories as he quietly gazed at the Raiden Mansion in the distance.

On a cold, windy night, I stood there for who knows how many hours, throwing away countless cigarette butts on the ground.

"I'm such a bad father, both times. Little Kiana, I'm going to Anti-Entropy. I made a deal with them, and I don't know if I'll ever see them again. Heh, if we do, I don't care how angry you get."

"But don't worry, Kiana, before we part, I've found someone you can entrust your life to."

Siegfried muttered to himself, then finally sighed and turned to leave.

"Are you leaving just like that?"

But suddenly a familiar voice rang out, startling Siegfried. He turned around and saw a familiar figure sitting on the edge of the rooftop, quietly watching him.

Siegfried was completely astonished, never expecting to meet under such circumstances. After stammering for a while, he forced a roguish smile and chuckled.

"Yo~ It's been a long time, Kiana."

But Kiana on the other side just looked at him with an incredibly calm gaze, showing no trace of a father-daughter reunion.

Siegfried gave a bitter smile, showing no reaction to the scene.

He suddenly left without saying goodbye and disappeared for so many years. Now that he's seen him again, Kiana must be furious with him and want to punch him. It's normal for her to show this kind of expression.

Chapter 39 Since you're about to die, leave our family heirloom to me.

Had I been too complacent? I was completely lost in my memories and didn't even notice that Kiana had arrived here.

He looked at his daughter across from him, who didn't respond but just stared at him with indifferent eyes.

Siegfried scratched his head in distress, but still tried his best to maintain the image of a carefree and unrestrained rogue.

Sure enough, he was not good at dealing with this kind of situation at all, so in the end he wanted to leave without saying a word. As long as Kiana had a new support and family, even if he died halfway, he would only leave his daughter with the image of a jerk, and would not cause her any more heartache.

He wasn't troubled by Kiana's anger or how to explain himself.

What troubled him was how to face Kiana after being captured and escaping once again.

Siegfried knew very well that he had no way to explain himself. As a father, abandoning his daughter to wander the streets made him an utterly despicable and useless man. If he still had a chance, he would be willing to spend his entire life apologizing and making amends to Kiana, even if it meant being beaten half to death and facing her cold indifference for the rest of his life.

But, there's no chance anymore...

He cannot get close to Kiana, much less die in front of her.

He's going to be a jerk again, leaving without saying goodbye once more after their reunion.

"Where are you going?" Without catching up, since they weren't family at all, Qi Shi looked at Siegfried, at this middle-aged man with a prodigal image but whose life had been filled with tragedy, and simply asked.

"I thought you were already dead. After all, looking at your arm and your injuries, you looked like a dying man."

Siegfried chuckled, assuming that Kiana was simply venting her anger over the years, which was why she was acting so coldly.

Moreover, although Kiana was aloof, she still managed to ask about his terrible injuries before she could finish her sentence.

"Hahaha~"

After a moment of silence, he feigned a laugh, scratching his head, and then, as if to surrender, raised his hands and said, "Gotcha." Caught, and finally, after the reunion, when everything seemed to have returned to normal, he once again, like a scoundrel, silently slipped away.

However, upon seeing those incredibly calm eyes, Siegfried suddenly stopped, opened his mouth but couldn't utter the next lie.

Those eyes seemed to see right through him, yet also seemed to be quietly watching his performance.

The forced smile gradually disappeared, and the gaze that was no longer naive but completely mature and calm pierced Siegfried's long-lost father's heart.

A silence fell over the rooftop, and the cold night wind blew, causing the white hair to sway slightly in the wind.

Siegfried lowered his head for a moment, then let out a bitter yet relieved sound.

"As you can see, Kiana, I'm about to die."

"I made a deal with Anti-Entropy. I plan to go to Anti-Entropy next. Maybe I won't see him for several years, or maybe I'll never see him again."

He planned to travel to Anti-Entropy to trade for time to extend his life. He knew his body was already broken and he might only live a few more years, but he would definitely not let go of any opportunity to help Kiana at some point.

Kiana possesses the Herrscher of the Void gem, and she will definitely encounter many dangers in the future. Also, that bastard Otto will certainly not give up his covetousness for the Herrscher power or the gem. He must become a line of defense against the crisis.

As he spoke, Siegfried suddenly laughed, revealing a relieved and pleased expression.

"Hahaha, it's you, Kiana. You were the one who caused that explosion, weren't you? You resolved that level of Honkai so easily. You really exceeded my expectations. The Kiana I used to know has changed so much that I almost don't recognize her anymore."

But after the joy came a sigh of dejection. After all, his father, who had never uttered a word in his life, had not been able to help with these changes and growth, which was already the biggest blow to him.

“I’m not a good father, but before I leave, I’ve already found someone you can trust. She’s your aunt, the only person you can trust. I’m a bastard, but after I’m gone, I hope you can live a warm, home-like life with her.”

Siegfried continued.

He was genuinely startled at the time, thinking that the Herrscher of the Void's consciousness had awakened again. But later he discovered that it seemed to be Kiana's power that had been activated on her own initiative. This successful performance truly surprised and delighted him, exceeding his expectations.

This gave Siegfried hope and strengthened his resolve to go against entropy and contribute his remaining energy during Kiana's crisis.

"Hehe~ Really, you've been rambling on and on, it's really embarrassing." Siegfried scratched his head awkwardly after realizing he had been talking to himself for so long.

"Before I leave, Dad, I'd love for Kiana to punch me and vent her anger, haha~ But please don't say anything sad, I can't stand that."

"You're overthinking it. I just wanted to say that since you're about to die, you should leave our family heirloom to me." Qi Shi crossed his arms and pouted, his words hurtful. After all, it's hard to be pleasant to hear someone call themselves "father" in front of you.

Rather than letting the Heavenly Fire Judgment eventually fall into Kevin's hands and become unstoppable, it's better to keep it in the first place.

Siegfried wasn't angry at such "angry words," but he paused slightly after hearing the rest, instinctively wanting to refuse. It was too dangerous for Kiana, who possessed the Herrscher of the Judgment, to come into contact with the Heavenly Fire Judgment.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, looking at Kiana across from him, who seemed to have grown up so much that he could hardly recognize her, and recalling the power that had exceeded his expectations, he paused for a moment, and finally only let out a relieved chuckle.

"Okay, I'll give it to your aunt as well, and when you're old enough to take care of yourself, I'll give it to you."

To be precise, Theresa will bestow the Judgment of Heavenly Fire upon her when she is truly free from the influence of the Herrscher of the Void and can live a normal life.

He never intended to bring it to anti-entropy.

I don't actually have much affection for Siegfried the anti-entropy.

He was not one to complain about useless things, but it was precisely because of the delayed response from Anti-Entropy that the ship was hit by a missile, ultimately causing his biological daughter Kiana to fall off the ship.

Although Anti-Entropy still had many acquaintances, he could hardly feel any goodwill towards them anymore, and this trip was purely for trade.

"Haha, after saying so much, it's time to leave."

After speaking his mind, Siegfried felt much more relieved and relaxed. They talked for a long time, but he did most of the talking.