On December 6, 2009, just like at this time on any other day, Siegfried bought a lot of alcohol.

  “You should give her a name. Herrschers have humanity too. Try to treat her as your real daughter, and use love to move her.”This was what Tes and Einstein from Anti-Entropy once said to him.

  Siegfried shook his head and gulped down his drink. Even though she looked almost identical to "Kiana", she wasn’t his Kiana.

  Beep beep beep—

  The phone dispyed: “Warning: Honkai Beast reaction detected.” Siegfried put down his gss, picked up his phone, felt for his Heavenly Fire Saint Order, and headed straight out the door.

  Kiana also wanted to follow him. But every time she wanted to fight Honkai Beasts with him, Siegfried would frown and sternly say to her:

  “No. I won’t allow you to fight. There’s no need for it.”Then he would sm the door shut, leaving Kiana alone inside the house.

  Kiana didn’t understand why her dad was willing to teach her how to fight, yet wouldn’t let her go into battle. Every time he went out to fight, Kiana could only stand behind the door and wait foolishly for Siegfried to return. Because that way, the moment he came back, she could help him right away—and Siegfried would be able to see her first thing too.

  That night, Siegfried returned home weak and weary. His face was full of exhaustion, and then he just colpsed in front of Kiana.

  He was hurt again in battle. Kiana silently dressed his wounds, then helped him to bed to rest. The bed wasn’t very big, and Siegfried’s strong body took up the whole thing. Kiana brought over a chair and just sat by his side, watching him.

  No one knew how much time had passed before the phone’s arm beeped again. It showed: “Honkai Beast detected.”Kiana picked up the phone and looked at her still unconscious father.

  “I can’t let Dad keep fighting while injured. I want to prove to him that I can also be a warrior who can stand on her own.”

  She picked up the Heavenly Fire Saint Order—its dual-pistol form—resting on the table, turned, and left.

  Dawn was just breaking. Following the directions on her phone, Kiana saw the Honkai Beast. It was a Temple-css Honkai Beast—Kiana had never seen such a monster before. It was several times bigger than she was. Its left arm was a shield rge enough to cover its entire body, while its right arm was like a knight’s nce, radiating menace.

  As the sun rose on the horizon, Kiana raised the Heavenly Fire Saint Order and aimed it at the Honkai Beast—only to find that she couldn’t activate it at all. The Honkai Beast had already raised its nce and was charging at her.

  Kiana closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate. But the death she expected never came. When she opened her eyes, the nce had stopped right in front of her—caught by a hand that clutched it tightly.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing to my daughter!?”A furious Siegfried crushed the Temple-css Honkai Beast’s nce with his bare hands, then beat it into pulp with punch after punch.

  After the battle, Kiana thought Siegfried was going to scold her.

  “I’m sorry… Dad… I just didn’t want to see you get hurt anymore… I… also want to protect you.”

  Siegfried looked at Kiana—and as he kept looking, tears welled up. Smiling, he knelt down and hugged her tightly.

  “That’s right… today is your birthday, isn’t it? I’ve never properly celebrated it with you. I really am such a lousy father…

  Let’s go buy a big cake and celebrate properly! Come on, Kiana…

  My most beloved daughter, Kiana Kasna!”

  That day, I received the best birthday present from Dad—my name.

  And then Dad and I made a promise.

  No matter how the world changes, as long as it’s to protect the ones I love most, I will give everything I have.

  Because that is the duty of someone who inherits the Kasna name.

  Since the day I got my name back, Dad changed completely. He couldn’t do housework but insisted on learning to cook, saying he wanted me to taste what home feels like… In the end, after every meal, both of us would colpse on the couch, seeing stars.

  Sometimes he’d even force me to drink, saying once I learned to drink he’d start teaching me how to flirt with guys… but every time I just took a few sips, I’d get dead drunk.

  I know… Dad was showing his love for me in his own way—clumsy, but warm.

  But what made me happiest was that I could finally fight alongside Dad to protect others.

  To this day, Kiana still remembers the way her dad looked when he fought.Just like him, she would give everything to protect the one she loves most.

  After Siegfried acknowledged her, that was the happiest time in Kiana’s life. Every day was filled with joy and ughter.

  It felt like the happiness from a fairy tale. Kiana wished it could st forever. But reality is cruel. That happiness only sted for a year. Like a bubble from the past, it burst with just a poke. Just ten days ago, Siegfried disappeared—along with all traces proving he ever existed.

  As if he had never existed in this world.But on the table was a bck card—the Kasna family’s bck card, with unlimited credit. It was the only proof that Siegfried had once been here.

  Kiana thought it was just another one of her dad’s pranks, but after waiting several days and still not seeing him, she finally made up her mind—to go find him. To find Siegfried, and ask him face to face why he suddenly disappeared.Did he… abandon her?

  Meanwhile...

  Jiu Xiao, who had just been smacked by Kiana, decided not to do anything and simply went to sleep. But Kiana next to him didn’t fall asleep at all. Though her eyes were tightly shut, her flushed ears and cheeks betrayed that she was still very much awake.

  “Did he just call me his wife?”“Does he… like me?”“He even confessed to me today…”

  Aiyaaa, this is driving me crazy.In the end, Kiana gave up thinking, grabbed Jiu Xiao’s hand, gave it a hard bite, then turned over and went to sleep—completely ignoring Jiu Xiao’s yelps.

  Elsewhere…

  A middle-aged man wearing a coat jumped off an aircraft and ran straight toward Siegfried, pinning him in a headlock under his armpit and grinding his fist hard into Siegfried’s head.

  “Siegfried! What the hell—why are you missing an arm now? Eh, whatever, not the point. Why the hell did you call me out here in the freezing cold!? Couldn’t you have just called me!? Bastard! I have to teach my precious daughter swordsmanship tomorrow, and I only get to see her on weekends! If she comes home and doesn’t see me, and then can’t find the Houmu Sword Saint at the dojo either, do you know how heartbroken she’ll be!? Siegfried, you truly are a sinner beyond redemption!”