ALL NOVEL Chapter 209: The Eve of the Experiment
In the end, Kiana agreed to Bianka's proposal. Though it could be a trap, she couldn't abandon Ren, and she needed to confirm the children's safety.
After they left, Raven remained unconscious amidst the ruins, a broken bird, silently mourning the destruction of her Nest.
As a World Serpent operative, her capture by Schicksal would mean certain death, especially considering her past actions against Rita. Yet, she had participated in the Stigmata Project in ARC City, making her an enemy. Kiana, conflicted, decided to conceal Raven's identity from Durandal, omitting any mention of the surviving children.
Let her live with the guilt.
For a Stigmata awakened individual, her prolonged unconsciousness was unusual. But Raven's spirit was broken, her mind instinctively rejecting the horrific reality.
Hours later, under the pale moonlight, she finally stirred.
"Sora!" she cried, spotting a small figure sitting by the window. But as the girl turned, Raven realized it was a stranger.
Delta, arriving too late, had found only the smoldering ruins of the Nest. The newfound light in her eyes, kindled by the children's presence, had been extinguished, replaced by a familiar silence.
Looking at the small notebook Sora had given her, Delta sighed, her deep blue eyes meeting Raven's crimson gaze.
"Are you their teacher?"
Raven remained silent for a long moment, her voice hollow when she finally spoke. "Someone who couldn't even protect her own children… has no right to be called a teacher."
The irony was cruel. Raven had dedicated her life to avenging herself against the Herrscher of the Void, only to have everything she held dear destroyed by her own allies. And now, even revenge was beyond her grasp, leaving only the bitter taste of regret.
"They spoke of you often. You taught them to keep fighting, no matter what. If you give up now, then you're truly unworthy of being their teacher."
Beneath the moonlight, the lonely young beast and the broken Raven merged, their shadows intertwined.
…
"We have to escape! We have to find Teacher!"
"But how? We all saw it! That woman… she beat up a giant dragon with her bare hands!" Silence descended upon the small room.
"That pretty lady is scarier than a Honkai beast! Everyone outside is a monster!"
While Ren had gone to find Kiana, Durandal had been tasked with clearing Nagazora of the remaining Honkai beasts. After eliminating most of them, she had cornered Benares, hiding in the western sector.
Knowing the dragon was Kiana's companion, she had refrained from killing it. But even so, the sight of Durandal carrying the massive beast back to the Nest had terrified the children.
Bianka paused outside the room, having overheard their whispered conversation. She opened the door, her appearance causing the children to huddle together in fear.
Seeing that all the children were present and accounted for, Kiana felt a wave of relief. Durandal hadn't lied.
"Kiana, help us!"
Sora, emboldened by Kiana's presence, approached her, tugging at her cloak, whispering her plea. But with Bianka's enhanced senses, such whispers were futile. Durandal didn't react, quietly leaving the room, giving Kiana a chance to speak with the children.
"When does Otto's experiment begin?" Ren asked, standing beside her.
"Noon tomorrow. Twenty Hyperion-class Honkai reactors will activate simultaneously, drawing on all the Honkai energy in Nagazora.
Your task is to open the gate between the Imaginary Tree and the current world. Be warned, however. During previous observations, the Overseer detected some… anomalies within the Imaginary pathway. There's a possibility of encountering unknown entities.
But don't worry. I'll handle any monsters that appear. And once the observation is complete, I'll ensure your safe departure." Having worked together numerous times, they were both familiar with the procedure, but Durandal reiterated the details.
But Ren wasn't reassured. He knew something would go wrong. Raven, having lost her children, would undoubtedly report everything to World Serpent, and seek revenge. He would be facing the full might of World Serpent, including Kevin, humanity's strongest warrior.
Schicksal's current forces were no match for Kevin.
If he couldn't defeat Kevin, Kiana and Bianka would likely die. That was unacceptable.
A few minutes later, Kiana emerged from the room, having finished talking with the children.
She approached Durandal, her words a simple plea.
"Take care of them."
Kiana and Ren then made their way to the warship's deck. The moonlight illuminated the ship. In the distance, they could see the transport ships, having unloaded their equipment, beginning their orderly withdrawal. By nightfall, no civilians would remain in Nagazora.
"Do you blame me for saving her?" The night wind whipped across the deck, clouds drifting past the ship like waves.
Ren knew she was referring to Raven. He looked at the shifting clouds, his expression unreadable.
"In this broken world, there is no absolute good or evil. Everyone fights for their own reasons."
His mother, Griseo… they had both died because of World Serpent. He could never forgive them.
"Everyone struggles to survive. But some… don't even have the chance to choose. I won't forgive her, but I respect your choice." His voice was cold, the chill of the night air mingling with the heat of his flames.
Kiana remained silent, taking his hand. She wouldn't forgive World Serpent either, nor Otto. But after everything she had witnessed, the lines between right and wrong had blurred.
The world wasn't black and white, but a complex shade of gray.
This was true for Schicksal, for World Serpent, for the Obsidian Concord, even for Anti-Entropy, ostensibly on humanity's side.
Everyone's hands were stained with blood. But not Ren's. Even in the fiery destruction of ARC City, most of the deaths had been caused by the panicked stampede during the evacuation.
And even after the disaster, he had lent his power to the Obsidian Concord, hoping to offer people hope.
It was this warmth, this flicker of light, that had kept Kiana going.