Honkai Impact 3rd: Don't Die For Me/ Book 3 Paradise

Chapter 1 Needed

"Have you fully recovered yet?"

The question hung in the air, suspended like a fishing hook on a line. Amidst the comfy and moderately lavish furniture sat a pair of cousins, close enough to be siblings. While one sat prim and proper, much posher than he would sit in the past, the other was lying on her back, snow-white hair untied streaming from the couch onto the floor. They sat opposite each other but their interaction wasn't stiff as they were accustomed to meeting under such circumstances.

"I've been busy," Kallen replied, eyes wandering the ornamental tea ceiling. She followed the ridged lines and the lattice designs. Its craftsmanship was impressive, painted pure white, yet missing no depth.

"Five months. By your standards that's slow."

Frederick shook his head and palmed his face. He glanced at this watch, there was still time. Allotting time for his cousin was always troublesome, it didn't help that she was often aloof during their meetings. She could never finish a book without her father pushing her. Even then Uncle Francis would become extremely bored and take his daughter away to play in the city. It was only thanks to Frederick's mother that Kallen had any sort of discipline.

'Well, Mother and Otto, he always rubbed off on people. Even now I'm sitting upright. Will, Otto, you two were a bad influence on me.'

Those solemn thoughts played in Frederick's mind while Kallen pondered the reason why her recovery was slow. A full recovery for a member of the Kaslana family was around three to five months depending on the injury. While not the best among her ancestors, Kallen's recovery time was quite fast, clocking in at just two months. It was even less when traveling with ... Otto. The most damage she ever sustained was from the Immortal when all of her injuries were internal. Despite being stabbed through the stomach, despite being shot by the deadliest bullets in Europe, Kallen's closest brush with death came from her battle with the Immortal.

"Anxious to deploy me?"

"I have my duties. Running a city is difficult and uncle is pushing me to resume your expeditions."

"Of course, he is. The reclamation of Honkai-infested lands is important but I've come to think that we should focus on stabilizing our lands before we start to reclaim territory from Honkai."

"You're using subtext? Since when were you able to use subtext?"

Kallen rolled her eyes. Frederick picked at the weirdest things, though it was a sign of their deepening bond. Otto could always read Kallen's mind and Sakura could do the same albeit to a lesser extent.

"I'm not stupid."

"Yeah, yeah. Just tell me how bad the situation is in the north?"

Kallen bit her lip. Her eyes began to trace the various little dome designs in the lattice ceiling. Perhaps the frequent raids were what prevented her from fully recovering. Though even with her injuries she still held the title of the strongest.

"It's an unending stream. The strength and class of the beast is on the rise. I've killed enough Emperor Class beasts to make a small outpost. My Vice Captain has killed plenty more as well."

"It seems your Vice Captain has left out a few accounts then."

"She wasn't present for all measures. I spent a few nights in the northern forest. The place is strange though. I see things I shouldn't."

"Describe what you saw."

"I don't see the point."

"It's crucial, Kallen. You may have seen some clues. If we can figure out why Honkai beasts are more active than before then we can prevent more raids."