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468 Kiana or Sirin?
🕑 Added 2025-07-15 15:00:17 +0000 UTCEarly in the morning, Kagura was already up, thanks to the meticulous care of Rita.
After a refreshing bath together, they enjoyed a rich breakfast that Rita had “amicably negotiated” from Raiden Mei.
Hmm... something feels a little off…
Isn’t this maid being a bit too devoted…?
At this rate, I'm definitely going to get chopped in half by Durandal…
Thankfully, even Rita knows where to draw the line.
Once she finished her morning duties, Rita quietly began tidying up the room on her own, without constantly hovering around Kagura.
Phew! Finally, I can breathe a little.
Honestly, having a maid fuss over every detail like this is a bit much.
Even Cortana didn’t go as far as scheduling my baths and sleep times with military precision…
The weather was lovely today—bright and sunny.
In a cheerful mood, Kagura hummed a little tune as she walked through the halls of the Hyperion.
“Since we’re still in the recovery period and there’s nothing urgent to do, I might as well wander around and check the place out~”
It’s not every day you get to board the legendary Hyperion, after all.
Gotta make the most of it while I can—take in the sights, gather inspiration.
Maybe I’ll even get some fresh ideas for ship design or upgrades!
Of course, I can’t forget the Honkai energy engines.
And the weapon systems… oh-ho, those definitely deserve a closer look!
With these thoughts in mind, Kagura made her way to the lower deck of the Hyperion.
Compared to the residential areas on the upper deck, this level had more functional rooms—like the kitchen and dining hall.
Any further down from here would probably take her into the ship’s weapon control systems and engine core.
She wondered if getting in there would require some kind of clearance…
Hmm, well, whatever!
I’m just exploring, not hacking into top secret files or anything~
And if it turns out I do need access clearance, I’ll just back off.
I am a guest here, after all—have to respect the crew’s privacy.
“Hei! Hei! Ha!”
‘Bam! Bam! Clap! Clap!’
The sudden sounds of combat caught Kagura’s attention. “Huh? What’s this... a training room?”
It was a much larger room than the others she had passed by.
Inside, Kiana was engaged in intense combat training.
Even though the battlefield and enemies were just part of a virtual simulation, the Valkyrie’s true power was still being activated.
The room was flooded with potent Honkai energy, and a portion of the Herrscher of the Void’s power was visibly flowing from Kiana as she trained, recreating aspects of the Herrscher’s abilities.
“Wait, what? Seriously? It’s still early morning! Isn’t Kiana the kind of girl who’d sleep until the sun’s up and shining on her face?”
Kagura rested her chin on her palm, thinking.
“Could it be… she’s matured after what happened in Sky City? She may not be shutting herself away anymore, but maybe she’s finally grown up a bit?
Hmm… if that’s true, then that’s a good sign.”
Still, Kiana’s power wasn’t complete. She couldn’t fully control the Herrscher of the Void’s abilities.
Any time she tried to use techniques like the Subspace Spear, or any other ability tied to Herrscher energy, she would be disrupted by Sirin—the Herrscher of the Void’s alternate persona.
Forcing it would cause dizziness and drain her energy.
Even with that painful cost, she was still pushing herself to train… alone, no less?
She’s really gotten stronger…
What a touching girl.
Well, since I’ve got time on my hands anyway, why not lend her a hand?
With that thought, Kagura stepped into the simulation room.
“Hey! Morning, Kiana. Starting combat training already?”
“Huff… huff… huh? Oh, it’s Kagura. Good morning!”
Kiana paused the simulation, catching her breath. “My powers still aren’t stable, so I need a lot more training.
Only if I get stronger can I live up to the expectations of the squad leader and Himeko. I want to do my part for the world too.”
“Mhm. Seeing you this determined would definitely make Himeko and Fu Hua proud,” Kagura replied. “As long as we keep moving forward, we’ll find Fu Hua again. After all, no one on this ship gets left behind, right?”
“Yeah! You’re right, Kagura!”
Kiana smiled as she wiped the sweat off her face. “That’s why I need to keep getting stronger—for everyone’s sake!”
“In that case… how about I lend you a hand?”
Kagura walked up and picked up a towel, gently wiping the sweat from Kiana’s face.
“I like girls who work hard to get stronger. I also like cute girls. And you, Kiana, happen to be both. So, I’ve decided I’m going to give you my full support~”
“W-Wait, really? Don’t tell me…”
Kiana’s expression suddenly tensed up, eyes flickering with panic.
“Hold on! I get it now! Kagura, you’re planning to beat me up, aren’t you?! That’s terrifying!”
“Pfft…” Kagura couldn’t help but chuckle at Kiana’s reaction.
“Well, in a way… you’re not exactly wrong.”
“Ehh?! No way! I’m not about to get beaten up by someone who can handcraft a Divine Key!” Kiana frantically shook her head like a rattle drum. “I—I still want to live a few more days, you know!”
“Aww, relax.” Kagura gently patted Kiana’s head. “Just getting beaten up won’t make you stronger. What I want is for you to truly master the power of the Herrscher. In other words…”
Kagura leaned in close to Kiana’s ear, her golden eyes glowing faintly.
Her soft lips brushed close, her breath warm and mesmerizing.
“I’m going to make you… face Sirin directly.”
“Eh?”
Kiana looked completely baffled.
“Alright, enough with the ‘Eh?’—doesn’t matter how much you ‘eh,’ it’s happening!”
Grinning, Kagura suddenly struck her palm forward—right against Kiana’s chest.
‘Vmmmmm—!’
In the very next moment, the surrounding space froze.
Time within the area accelerated to a thousand times its normal rate.
Within this nearly Hyperbolic Time Chamber-like environment, Kagura activated her dimensional sorcery.
A “Mirror Universe” unfolded around them—an isolated space created for training, sealed off from the real world.
Strangely enough, even within the Honkai-ravaged world, her dimensional sorcery still worked perfectly.
As expected from a technique that draws power from other dimensions—changing worlds didn’t seem to affect it at all. It was truly god-tier.
Next, the power of the Reality Gem surged forth, reshaping everything inside the Mirror Universe.
Thoughts bled into reality. With her infinite power, Kagura pulled Kiana back into a memory—one that had been burned deep into her soul...
———————————————————————
Year 2000, Siberia. The Second Honkai War.
Flames roared around them.
The snow-covered forest had turned to ash. Fire licked across the frozen ground, creating a surreal, apocalyptic landscape.
Kiana stood on the scorched earth, her expression serious as she looked up—at the god-like figure floating above her in the sky.
“Kagura… this is the trial you’ve prepared for me?”
Kagura’s voice echoed beside her.
“That’s right. Here, you’ll face your true enemy: the real Herrscher of the Void, Sirin. She is the root of your fear—and the very source of the Herrscher power inside you.”
“Go, Kiana. Understand her. Overcome her. Make the power of the Herrscher of the Void truly your own.”
Hovering ahead of her was Sirin—the Herrscher of the Void.
She gazed coldly at the burning world below.
Her long, violet hair flowed in the wind.
Her golden eyes radiated a terrifying majesty.
She wore an elegant white combat dress, complete with ornate skirts.
Glowing wings flared out behind her like those of an angel, and the Subspace Spears—writhing, deadly—hovered at her back.
Overflowing Honkai energy surged around her, warping the very space she stood in.
This was the true Herrscher of the Void.
This was Sirin—the being who once came within a hair’s breadth of destroying the entire world.
Sirin looked down with a sneer and slowly spoke.
“Kiana… we meet again. This time, I’m going to fully take over your body. No matter how much you resist, it’s pointless.”
“No… I won’t back down. Not even against you, Herrscher of the Void!” Kiana tightened her grip on her dual pistols.
“This is the place where I once fought side by side with my mom. I won’t lose here! I’ll fight—Kagura, bring it on!”
“Well said. I like that defiant, desperate look in your eyes,” Sirin said with a slight smirk.
“Then show me what you’ve got—struggle all you want!”
