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

At the Siberian training grounds, where snow was beginning to melt, two black figures swiftly crossed paths amidst gusts of wind, their movements generating continuous bursts of explosive air pressure.

On the sidelines, Zeke impassively cleaned his ears.

Bronya stood nearby, meticulously observing and adjusting data displayed across a series of virtual screens.

"Unbelievable. Strength, speed, reaction—all these enhancements from the armor are astonishingly significant! Bronya has no doubt that even a twelve-member Titan assault squad would be torn apart instantly by them. This surpasses the capabilities of conventional Valkyries... Is the true purpose of the new recruit training camp to help them quickly adapt to this kind of armor?"

Zeke didn't respond to such an obvious question but instead explained: "Black Armor 8.0, made from nanometal materials, provides Honkai Energy shielding and dual-energy propulsion amplification units. These absorb the dissipated Honkai Energy around them, enhancing their power while reducing harm to their bodies. They also carry specialized weapons tailored to their abilities... When combined with swarm tactics, each of them becomes an army unto themselves. This is currently the optimal solution. Unless I can obtain research findings on Soulium or Herrscher Cores, there won't be significant upgrades for a while."

"Is Bronya's set identical as well?"

Bronya closed the projection screen, lifted her skirt slightly, and pointed to a black band wrapped around her pale thigh, asking. Seemingly oblivious to the tantalizing glimpse beneath her skirt, she maintained a serious demeanor.

Zeke glanced briefly at her strikingly white thigh and a particular patch of distinctive white fabric before responding:

"...Put your skirt down. Yes, it's the same."

"Understood. Bronya will test its effectiveness later too."

Following Zeke's instruction, Bronya lowered her skirt. Noticing that Zeke appeared unaffected, she turned away, subtly pursing her lips.

"Flirting failed—guess conventional tactics won't work on him after all. No wonder he's Zeke," Bronya muttered to herself.

It wasn't that she had developed feelings for Zeke; as a soldier, her restraint stemmed from not knowing his weaknesses, which left her feeling uneasy.

However, even the powerful skirt-lifting plan proved ineffective. Just how else could she test him now?

Bronya pondered this when she heard another low sigh from Zeke.

"I should've finished tuning the armor before going to Yellow Mountain."

"That way, even if foolhardy Kiana fell off a cliff, she wouldn't have gotten hurt?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Bronya thinks you've already spoiled her too much. I suggest implementing some isolation therapy to prevent Kiana from turning completely useless... Although she is quite the idiot already."

Useless? Surely not! My discipline has always been strict, hasn't it?

Zeke didn't contest the "idiot" label but looked at Bronya with confusion.

From his perspective, there was nothing wrong with his educational approach. He never hesitated to administer necessary scolding or kicks, maintained rigorous training standards without any leniency, and consistently emphasized moral education. While it's true that Kiana's idiocy seemed irredeemable, her development in other areas appeared satisfactory, right?

Bronya rolled her eyes and remained silent.

Earlier this morning, Kiana had casually mentioned wanting to try the gourmet caviar featured in a food magazine—and as far as Bronya knew, an air cargo flight from Japan was already en route. By dinnertime, they could expect to see expensive caviar dishes on their table.

"Never mind, let's not dwell on that; I have things under control. Any issues with the armor status?" Zeke asked nonchalantly, despite having no idea what he was talking about.

Bronya brought up the monitoring screen again, scanning it while replying, "Everything is normal. The test data falls within standard ranges, indicating it's ready for direct deployment in combat—absolutely flawless."

After responding, Bronya couldn't help but sneak a glance at Zeke.

It truly was remarkable. As someone well-versed in technology, Bronya understood that any complex and advanced weapon required multiple rounds of testing and refinement to gradually achieve perfection. The more cutting-edge the technology, the less likely it would be battle-ready after just one iteration.

But Zeke's technologies were all perfected straight out of development, ready for combat use. They could perhaps be upgraded further, but they never had any bugs—what kind of extraordinary talent was required to achieve such feats?

"What is it?" Sensing Bronya's gaze, Zeke asked without turning from his observation of the battlefield.

Bronya shook her head slightly. "I just think you're incredibly impressive—to an almost unnatural degree."

"Hmm. By the way, have you completed plans for the Oceanian branch assault?" Zeke casually changed the subject.

"With Mother Cocolia's help, yes."

"How many troops will you need?"

"Five thousand Titans as the main force for feint attacks on the front lines; Kiana, Sin, and I form the strike squad tasked with directly capturing the objective; five thousand worker drones to segment the battlefield and cover our retreat... That lineup should suffice."

"I'll make the preparations."

Then Bronya hesitated briefly before furrowing her slender brows and asking cautiously:

"We're really going after the Oceanian branch just to find this Wendy person? It's one of Schicksal's bases, you know."

"The Gem of Desire resides within her body," replied Zeke matter-of-factly, as if discussing something trivial like Kiana eating an extra fried egg for breakfast.

Zeke spoke matter-of-factly, as if discussing something trivial like Kiana having an extra fried egg for breakfast.

But Bronya immediately straightened up, standing tall with her feet together and saluting impeccably.

"Understood. Bronya will complete this mission."

Unlike the other carefree children at the orphanage, Bronya had already experienced life's harsh realities. She knew what Mother Cocolia was striving for, understood Zeke's significance to the entire orphanage, and fully comprehended the importance of obtaining the Herrscher Core.

Once, she had blindly struggled for survival amidst darkness. Now, she fought for their sanctuary, for the smiles of the other children and Mother Cocolia...and perhaps just a tiny bit for Zeke—only a smidge, no more than that.

Thus, Bronya had compelling reasons not to fail, reasons far beyond mere survival.

Zeke glanced sidelong at her and replied, "Stay safe. The loss of Titans and worker drones is acceptable; your well-being matters most. If necessary, don't hesitate to abandon the mission outright. You three take precedence."

"...Yes!" Bronya replied sternly, but after Zeke looked away, her lips curved slightly upward.

Zeke might be smart, but his judgment was still somewhat flawed—how could their lives possibly compare to the value of a Herrscher Core? Still, Bronya didn't mind this sentiment at all.

"BOOM!!"

The thunderous clash of fists shook the heavens and churned the earth, layer by layer, as the ground buckled under their immense power.

Two panting figures stared each other down through the sole pale-blue viewport on their sealed black armors, their expressions beneath the helmets brimming with excitement.

These suits of black armor were simply too powerful! The moment they donned them, both felt invincible, as if nothing in heaven or earth could stand against them.

The Kaslana bloodline carried a combative nature, while Sin herself was no stranger to violence.

This intense spar brought them great joy, marking the first time they realized just how formidable their long-time rival truly was.

"Clap! Clap!"

Praising applause echoed nearby as Zeke slowly emerged from the dust.

"That's enough for now; let's wrap up this basic test. You can continue exploring their capabilities on the battlefield."

"So we finally have a mission? I've been itching for action—failure isn't in the Kaslana dictionary!"

"Zeke, leave it to me—I can handle anything!"

One was bursting with confidence; the other brimming with anticipation—both girls were filled with excitement.

"This mission is a trial run to test your abilities as well as the black armor's performance. I cannot overstate its importance; success would have immense implications for me personally. However, there are two crucial points to remember: always follow Bronya's orders, and don't push yourselves beyond your limits—return safely."

Zeke raised two fingers, solemnly emphasizing his instructions.

Kiana and Sin nodded firmly.

"Don't worry! This young lady won't disappoint you!"

"Yes, Sin will do her best, Zeke!" they responded with unwavering determination.

And so, these events unfolded on the eve of battle.