Starting from the Collapse World, I became the behind-the-scenes boss

Furthermore, while I can't speak for other matters, it's certain that you're the girl Hen loves most in his heart; he just isn't always good at expressing himself.

Thinking of what she had seen during her last visit to St. Freya, Raven tried to defend the boy.

"Of course, if he really did something wrong, just tell me, and I'll definitely teach him a lesson!"

Patting his chest, Raven looked confident that he could easily beat the boy.

She's the older sister, after all; she absolutely can't lose her commanding presence.

"Woo..."

Hearing this, Kiana finally couldn't hold back her tears and they welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Natasha, I'm so sorry..."

Choking back tears, Kiana got up and fled, her speed so fast that only a white blur could be seen.

"..."

Looking at the seafood dishes that had just been served, and then at the white-haired girl who had vanished without a trace, Raven was somewhat bewildered.

Could this level of reaction mean that the young man started a relationship with her but then abandoned her?

The thought had barely crossed her mind when Raven noticed that a black-haired boy had quietly appeared in the seat Kiana had just been sitting in.

"The seafood dishes at this restaurant are indeed quite good."

Without any hesitation, Shihen used the utensils that the white-haired dumpling had used to put a piece of fried shrimp into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and then commented.

"mark?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Raven's eyes, but her expression quickly turned serious. "Tell me honestly, what exactly did you do to Kiana!?"

Even if you're in a dark organization like World Serpent, manipulating a girl's mind is unacceptable.

“Something happened at the organization recently, and I needed to go back to deal with it, so I faked my death in front of Kiana and the others.”

Frankly speaking, Shihen's gaze fell on the small stack of banknotes left behind by the white fur ball.

Judging from its thickness and denomination, this is clearly not enough to pay for the meal, but... this should be all the money Kiana has on her.

Honestly, so many years have passed, how come this silly kid is still so poor?!

With a sigh, Shihen stuffed the stack of banknotes into his pocket.

Anyway, Raven will pay, so let him take the money.

After all, he had just helped the other side save a small island.

Well, with the access card to Raven Villa Island, it naturally becomes part of his property, and Shihen wouldn't let himself suffer a loss.

Raven: “…”

At this moment, she finally understood why Kiana had reacted that way.

Even without witnessing the boy's faked death firsthand, she could roughly guess what kind of scene it would be.

"mark……"

With a long sigh, the raven couldn't help but hug the boy tightly, "I'm sorry..."

If she had been more resolute in opposing the boy joining the World Serpent, he wouldn't have suffered this tragedy and would have been able to stay with his beloved for longer.

Even though the boy appears indifferent now, Raven understands that he must be very reluctant and sad inside.

Otherwise, the boy wouldn't have been secretly following Kiana all this time.

Shihen: "???"

Seriously? Why are you doing this too?

And didn't you pay attention to the height when you picked him up?!

Feeling those two almost suffocatingly soft mounds, Shihen struggled slightly.

"Cough cough..."

Realizing what she had done, Raven blushed and released the boy, asking, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Knowing that the boy's mission should be the priority, Raven did not choose to act alone in private.

“Sister Natasha has already done enough.”

But when met with the mercenaries' eager gazes, Shihen simply smiled gently.

As long as the other party is willing to play their current role properly and not keep thinking about going back to the World Serpent to disturb him and Durandal... cough cough, I mean disturb him from continuing to fool the goose, that would already be the greatest help to him.

While thinking, Shihen quickly finished his meal, then stood up and said, "Kiana probably hasn't eaten yet, I'll go check on her."

As the girl's only close friend, even if he is offline, he can still guide her forward.

"..."

Watching the boy's retreating figure, Raven couldn't help but clench her fist secretly.

What do you mean she's done enough...? She clearly hasn't helped at all!

Chapter Sixty: The White-fuzzy Dumpling's Cherry Blossom Dinner

Kiana ran as fast as she could through the night streets, not daring to stop for even a moment.

Despite the astonished gazes of passersby following her, Kiana's speed did not slow down at all; on the contrary, it increased even more, as if an indescribable monster was chasing her from behind, trying to drag her into a bottomless abyss.

thump!

The surrounding light dimmed, and Kiana suddenly staggered, lost her balance, and fell to the ground.

Ignoring the possibility of injury, Kiana immediately grabbed her backpack and opened it. After confirming that the azure star inside was still intact and undamaged, the girl breathed a sigh of relief, hugged the Star of Eden, and began to sob softly.

It was just a chance encounter, yet Raven treated her so well, making Kiana even more afraid to face it all.

The girl couldn't imagine how the raven would look at her if it ever learned the truth.

Kiana would rather have Raven scold her or beat her up than face such tenderness and care from a woman.

This is even more painful than killing her.

After a long while, when Kiana came to her senses, she found herself in some desolate wilderness, surrounded by a pitch-black night where she could not see her own hand in front of her face. She felt a burning pain all over her body, and her stomach felt as if it were about to burst into flames.

Having not eaten or drunk anything all day, she finally managed to get a treat from Raven, but she only ate some appetizers and then fled in a panic, leaving her stomach in even more of a protest.

sand~

Like a cherry blossom quietly falling from a branch, a dazzling light suddenly appeared before the girl's eyes.

Kiana narrowed her eyes and finally saw that the person in front of her was a pink-haired priestess dressed in classic red and white attire. The dazzling light was emitted from a futuristic lantern in the priestess's hand.

Traditional shrine maiden plus a cyber lantern—what kind of magical combination is this?

Before she could even complain, Kiana instantly hugged Eden's Star and became alert.

"What are you here for this time?!"

She shouted sharply, Kiana's body tense like a female leopard poised to pounce.

Despite having previously held a very high liking for the beautiful shrine maiden Yae Sakura, after experiencing this series of events, even the white-furred dumpling has learned to be cautious.

Moreover, even without witnessing it firsthand, Kiana could guess that the boy's acquisition of the Plague Gem was inextricably linked to [Walter White], and it was even possible that Yae Sakura herself handed the Plague Gem to the boy.

“Miss Kiana, I deeply regret what happened to Lord Shihen.”

Faced with the girl's hostile gaze, Yae Sakura simply lowered her head and spoke softly.

"The crocodile cries for the mouse!"

Gritting her teeth, Kiana's anger remained undiminished, "If you really feel guilty, then go and bring Hen back!"

They did that kind of thing and then came back saying they deeply regretted it—who would believe that?!

"In our calculations, Lord Shihen is fully qualified to become a Herrscher."

Yae Sakura explained softly, "And as long as Lord Shihen becomes the new Herrscher, even if he cannot defeat the Herrscher of the Void, he should be able to protect himself."

"You're talking nonsense! He clearly..."

As she spoke, Kiana suddenly froze.

The boy's adaptability to Honkai energy has always been excellent, and his willpower is also exceptionally strong. If given more time, it is clearly not impossible for him to control the power of the Plague Gem.

But... what the young man lacked was precisely time.

Moreover, Kiana couldn't even imagine how the boy could frantically extract Honkai energy from a single Plague Gem, which could unleash power exceeding that of three Herrscher cores.

Recalling the image of the boy being corrupted by Honkai and his entire body being covered in patterns, Kiana still feels heartbroken and finds it hard to breathe.

Having spent so much time with the boy and gone through countless battles together, this was the first time she had ever witnessed Honkai energy overload on him.

It was also the last time.

"It seems Miss Kiana has understood."

With a soft voice, Yae Sakura plunged the final knife into the girl's heart.

"It's all because of me that Hen...that..."

Muttering to herself, Kiana's delicate body trembled and she almost collapsed.

hum!

The Star of Eden in the girl's arms trembled slightly, emitting a hazy blue light. The star-like light reflected in the girl's eyes, infusing Kiana's body with even more power.

"Whatever your motives, I will not let you succeed!"

Kiana shouted in a deep voice, her eyes regaining their coldness.

Her current life was saved by the boy who risked his life, so no matter how much she felt guilty and remorseful, Kiana had no intention of wasting it easily.

This was the only thing she could do for the boy.

Kiana held the Star of Eden in her arms even tighter, and her panicked mood gradually calmed down.

"Miss Kiana has misunderstood."

The World Serpent needs a fully-fledged Herrscher of the Void, so Kiana is not currently within our target range.

Shaking her head, Yae Sakura's lips curled into a helpless smile. "Besides, Miss Kiana, do you really believe that what you're seeing is the truth?"

"What do you mean!?"

Kiana frowned.

"What if I told you that the person Miss Kiana most wants to see might still be alive?"

Yae Sakura smiled and said.

"impossible!"

Kiana immediately denied it, "I saw with my own eyes that Hen was... pierced by the Herrscher of the Void's attack, and then swallowed by the Imaginary Dimension."

No matter how much Kiana didn't want to admit it, she couldn't deny the fact that the boy had sacrificed himself.

If she is afraid to admit such a thing, then that would undoubtedly be a true desecration of the boy.

There is an old saying in China: "If the person is alive, we must see them; if the person is dead, we must see their body."

Therefore, Lord Shihen is currently only missing.

As she explained, Yae Sakura, who was now fully focused, smiled slightly, her alluring face exuding a captivating charm. "If Miss Kiana can meet my requirements, I will tell you a secret about Stigmata."

The original design goal of the Stigmata was to enable the holder to maintain their individuality amidst the torrent of imaginary numbers.

The boy, who also possessed a natural holy mark, was naturally able to return from the imaginary space.

This is the scientifically sound way to do sit-ups.

"Sacred Marks? What does that have to do with the possibility that the Marks might still be alive!?"

Kiana frowned upon hearing this.

"Hmm... Miss Kiana, are you unaware that Lord Shihen possesses a natural Holy Mark?"

With a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth, Yae Sakura sensed that things seemed to have taken a wrong turn.

"Of course I..."

Instinctively wanting to confirm, Kiana was immediately startled, "When did Hen have a natural holy mark?"

And how could you possibly know such a thing!?