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

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"Stare—"

During the conference, in the bright and cozy living room, Kiana sat across from Bronya, observing her dismantle and maintain firearms with precision while also noting her expressionless demeanor, devoid of any emotion.

"Blinking is a natural reflex function of the eyes, serving to keep the cornea and conjunctiva moist. The normal blinking frequency is approximately once every three seconds, yet Kiana hasn't blinked in a minute now. If there's an issue with your blinking ability, Bronya suggests consulting an ophthalmologist."

Bronya held a white cloth containing delicate parts, meticulously wiping them without looking up as she addressed Kiana.

"Slam!"

Kiana slammed her hand on the table.

"I know what happened, and you know I know it too! Bronya, don't play dumb with me! You sneaky, shameless little cat!"

"Don't be mean to Bronya!"

"...This has nothing to do with you, Sin!"

"What affects Bronya affects Sin as well!"

Sin leaned across the table, positioning herself between Kiana and Bronya, effectively cutting off Kiana's interrogation.

Kiana sighed wearily at Sin's stern expression—this girl was truly neither cute nor perceptive of the situation!

"Move aside."

As she tried pushing Sin's face away, those sharp shark-like teeth clamped down on her hand.

"...Are you part dog or something?! Let go—it hurts!"

"Grrr!"

"You think I won't sock you right now?!"

"GRRR!"

"(▼ヘ▼#)!!!"

"(▼皿▼#)!!!"

Three seconds later, they were wrestling on the floor, pulling hair and tearing clothes, their antics absurdly comical.

Bronya finished cleaning the parts and swiftly reassembled them into a sturdy, short machine gun that faded from red to yellow. Despite its overly bright and adorable appearance, it packed high-capacity magazines loaded with potent Honkai energy bullets.

She leveled the weapon, aiming directly at Kiana and Sin, who were grappling each other using joint locks, biting, and any means necessary. With no emotion showing on her face, Bronya slowly moved her finger toward the trigger.

"Slap!"

Suddenly, a hand pressed down on Bronya's head.

"You're trying to break up their fight?"

"Mm-hmm. Bronya believes that overwhelming firepower is the quickest way to resolve disputes."

"The idea is sound, but living room furnishings aren't cheap. This method is more suitable for use outdoors."

"I see, thank you for the advice... Oh, and welcome home, Zeke."

Bronya lowered her gun, reached up, and gently held Zeke's hand against her head, looking at him tenderly with unhidden affection and joy.

This made Zeke smile as well.

"We're back. Although it seems we arrived just in time for this unpleasant scene."

Zeke turned towards the two figures on the floor; despite one being Kia, whose relationship with him was virtually confirmed save for the final step, and the other being Sin, with whom he would likely be entangled for life, his cooled gaze remained icy, devoid of any mercy.

"Sinn wasn't fighting!"

"Yes, we were being very friendly, Zeke!"

In an instant, they transformed from fierce combatants to neatly kneeling side by side.

Upon closer inspection, cold sweat was visibly breaking out on their innocent, delicate faces.

Zeke shook his head, dissipating the menacing glint in his eyes. He took a seat on one of the nearby sofas and said, "Come here."

After a brief moment, Kiana and Sin lay down on either side of Zeke, each resting their heads on his thigh, temporarily achieving harmony.

As Zeke gently stroked the girls' soft hair, he turned to Bronya, whose expression remained composed without any hint of displeasure, and spoke:

"Welt brought some bad news."

"What kind of news?"

"The Herrscher of a Thousand People—a group not particularly strong but troublesome in certain ways."

"How should we handle it?"

"By investigating and waiting, at least for now. During this period, your friends—especially those connected to Herrschers—will stay within the Inner City Headquarters. Stay vigilant... Personally, I hope those guys deliver themselves right to our doorstep."

"I understand. Bronya will keep a close watch," she replied earnestly while caressing her submachine gun.

Zeke nodded reassuringly.

He had immense trust in Bronya's capabilities. Over these years, she had become his most versatile tool... cough, cough, his most dependable subordinate.

Despite her recent exploitation of this trust for subtle mischief, it didn't change the fundamental fact.

Then, Zeke looked down and noticed two pairs of sparkling eyes filled with joy and sweetness.

"Sigh..."

With a gentle sigh, Zeke once again acknowledged his status as a scoundrel.

"I have something to tell you both: Kiana, Bronya, and I are now officially in a romantic relationship. Sin, you're probably the last to know... Have any thoughts about leaving me?"

"...No!"

It was the expected response.

Sin's world is distorted yet, at the same time, incredibly pure.

In her twisted life, Bronya and Zeke were the only two beams of light. Considering the accumulated affection over the years, putting oneself in her shoes, who could willingly let go?

Moreover, Sin's personality itself was stubborn to the point of pathology, making it even less likely for her to break free from her current circumstances.

Zeke had no doubt that if he forcibly cast her aside, she would either descend into madness amidst confusion and despair or... commit suicide somewhere alone. There seemed to be no third outcome.

Sin clung tightly to Zeke's hand. The news came as such a shock that her mind went blank momentarily; Kiana's involvement infuriated her. However—Zeke mattered most, and everything else could be disregarded.

With his other hand, Zeke gently placed it on Sin's forehead, soothing her, "Then let's leave it at this. I'll wait for you for four years. Afterward, if you still can't find another emotional anchor—or even if you do but choose to stay with me... I will continue taking care of you. Until then, try embracing more connections. Your personality has its flaws, and while I don't dislike this side of you, I also hope you can truly mature someday."

Relying solely on two people for emotional support—with one of those dependencies largely existing just to capture Zeke's attention—such a life seemed unbearably pitiful.

"Okay..."

Her heterochromatic eyes—one golden, one blue—were fixed intently on Zeke as if gazing upon her entire world. Her radiant smile held no trace of aggression, only gentle emotions flowing through it. Then, crystalline tears began to slide down from the corners of her eyes.

She must have been heartbroken. After all, she valued Zeke immensely, yet someone else had unknowingly reached and claimed the treasure she had long yearned for—Zeke's love.

A hand extended towards Sin, wiping away her tears.

It wasn't Zeke or Bronya; instead, Kiana gently pinched Sin's cheeks, resting her own head on her other hand, and with a resigned tone said:

"That's enough now. I really can't help but indulge your little craziness. Let's get along better from now on, since we're going to become family, right?"

Family...?

A hint of bewilderment flickered across Sin's face.

Bronya and Zeke were similarly moved by Kiana's words.

Although emotionally, everyone within Anti-Entropy already felt like family, the bond Kiana spoke of was clearly even closer, more intimate, and uniquely special—stirring feelings of anticipation and longing.

Zeke glanced at each girl in turn before finally exhaling deeply. Matters of the heart truly are intricate; even he had hesitated for quite some time. But they've reached this point now, and only time will reveal what lies ahead.

Regardless, it was crucial to sort out his romantic entanglements before the Herrscher of a Thousand People arrives. Feeling invigorated, Zeke thought: Herrscher of a Thousand People, huh? With nothing holding me back, I'm genuinely curious to see just how much surprise those guys can bring!

"Achoo!"

"Are you catching a cold? No way, no way! Can Herrschers even get sick?"

"Hush! Hush! We've been exposed now; it's time to launch our operation without delay. Before those guys can react, we must swiftly unleash the long-planned storm! This is our only chance for victory! I doubt anyone here thinks we can face those terrifying monsters head-on, right?"

"I agree! With things at this point, there's no turning back!"

"In truth, most preparations have already been made; it's not entirely rushed."

"The curtain rises! Let us deliver a grand surprise to this world!"

"Yes!"