Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Twilight of Time…

An endless field of daisies stretched farther than the eyes could see. A place that one might call heaven. A place where wishes were fulfilled. A place where SHE met the most important person in her life.

In this field of daisies, the Goddess remembered her first memories. Countless petals rose into the air, turning into light. They sang with all their heart, a song about their yearning as they searched endlessly for the light they desired.

They wanted to believe that miracles could come true and they were right. After eons, the goddess finally found the angel that lit up her world.

Tears of mirth flowed down the goddess’s cheeks. On that day her earnest wish finally came true. Reunited with the person she cherished the most, the two vowed to always be there for each other, never again would they be separated.

Their vow became a melody that echoed throughout the world of souls. It was a promise inscribed deeper than a sacrament, more precious than life. That pure promise brought hope that was gathered and the power called a [Miracle].

The power to combat the forces of “decay”.

For a brief moment, The Goddesses merged the world of souls and the real world into one, Allowing humanity to turn the impossible into a possibility and giving humanity a chance to defy their fate.

Using this power the Goddesses guided humanity and struck down their mortal enemy, the Amalgamation of “decay” was no more, and finally, Humanity was freed from their shackles.

Though for the goddesses their journey wasn’t over yet. Their enemy’s remnants still remain, and the Finality of their fight still hangs unresolved. So the two goddesses unraveled the merger.

With a final parting, the two goddesses bid their goodbyes to their closest allies, promising that someday they might come back and visit.

Hand in hand, together the two goddesses left this world.

And the Herrscher witnessed it all happen.

Words couldn’t describe what the Herrscher of Finality had witnessed. For eighty-four thousand years the Herrscher became an observer as the world told her a story.

The Herrscher dreamed about a world similar to her own. In that dream, she witnessed the story of a girl, told from the perspective of the Savior. The girl in the story would later become the goddess, A girl so similar to herself. A girl who took on the burden of the entire world on her shoulders.

In her slumber, the Herrscher witnessed the stories of many worlds the Honkai had plagued.

The story of Venus and how the people flee from the planet to survive. The story of Mars and how the people uploaded their consciousness into a computer to survive. The story of Earth Gakuen and how the people eradicate the Honkai’s EGO. Lastly, The story of her Earth and how the Finality embraced them.

But for both Earths, this wasn’t the Finality of their story. That was why the Savior sought the Herrscher of Finality for help as the new threat arose on their horizon. One that could spell doom to both Earths if they didn’t prepare in advance for an upcoming confrontation as another merger would occur.

This time it was their home planet’s turn and there wasn’t much that they could do to stop it.

“So… After witnessing our story… What do you think, Herrscher of Finality?” The Savior, Gakuen’s Last Herrscher asked.

“Th-This is a lot to take in.” The Herrscher of Finality replied. “But I just have one question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Was it you who made me fall into this dream?” The Herrscher of Finality asked however she didn’t get the answer she had hoped for as the Savior shook her head. “I see.”

“Just because I am a Herrscher like you doesn’t mean I have the power to manipulate a strong being like yourself. Just like the Cocoon of Unwoven I merely took advantage of the situation and asked for help through this dream world that was created to hold your consciousness.” The savior explained.

If what she said was true that meant the only other explanation for the Herrscher of Finality’s deep slumber was. “The Ruler of Will. The one that I saw in your story. This was THEIR doing was it?”

“Most likely.” The Savior replied, confirming both women’s suspicions. “Though, now that you’re waking up. Our time is limited.” As the Savior said that, cracks began to form in the space they were standing on.

“Kiana. Your friends might also be seeing this but in case they didn’t. Warn them. Don’t take the threat of the Ruler of Will lightly even if you’re the Herrscher of Finality now.” The Savior reminded.

The Herrscher of Finality nodded as the figure of the Savior slowly turned into light. “Mhm, I will. Kyuusyou.”

“I know you’re not the Kiana I knew but.” With a sad smile, the Savior took one final glance at the Herrscher. “It’s nice meeting you. Kiana. I hope we can meet again.” With that the Savior vanished, turning into light.

“...Yeah. I hope we do.” The Herrscher of Finality smiled as the space around her crumbled.

24 November 2029

“No development, huh?” A purple-haired woman sighed. Her friend puts her hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

“I’m sure the idiot is probably fine. The doctors didn’t find anything wrong with her.” The gray-haired woman said, reassuring her friend that their friend was okay.

“Let’s just hope so Bronya.” Mei smiled. The two women were visiting their friend, Kiana Kaslana who had been “sleeping” for over four years now.

Einstein and Tesla, two of the brightest minds on Earth couldn’t give any concrete answer to Kiana’s condition. 

“I have never seen anything like this before. Her state is like a comatose patient but everything seemed perfectly normal as if she was in regular REM sleep” Einstein stated. As a Herrscher Kiana couldn’t catch many diseases on top of that she was also stuck on the moon for almost six years before she fell into a deep slumber. It was highly unlikely that she caught any earth pathogen in outer space.

The scientists theorized that it might be because her body couldn’t handle all of that Honkai energy but they were mistaken. “H-Huh!? Kiana showed no signs of Honkai degradation at all! Well, this is fortunate at least…This might be the case because she was the Herrscher of Finality and her body became extremely adaptable towards Honkai energy. Just like when you two became a perfect Herrscher. ” Tesla stated.

The only other hypothesis they were left unsolved was that Kiana was influenced by something equal in strength to the Herrscher of Finality or a greater power that’s stronger than the Herrscher of Finality herself. But what could possibly be stronger than a Herrscher of Finality?

‘But would it be possible?’ Mei thought to herself. It wasn’t improbable. The universe is filled with endless possibilities. After all, they weren’t alone in this universe. The invasion from the Sky People was the living proof of that fact. 

Thankfully Earth managed to hold its own and ever since that day, Schicksal had been preparing their defenses in case something like that happened again.

A comforting silence hung in the air as the two women accompanied their friend while doing their own task. Bronya worked on her laptop, typing away lines of code for her game development project even though this was technically her holiday. As for Mei, she chose to review some footage of her students’ previous sparring sessions on the tablet she was holding.

It was just uneventful another day until– “Ugh, Why does everything feel so sore? Just how long have I been asleep?” An unexpected yet familiar groan caught the women’s attention.

“Kiana-chan!”

“Kiana!”

The two women simultaneously said, leaving whatever they were working on. Mei and Bronya stood beside the bed as Kiana slowly sat up, looking disoriented.

“Take it easy, Kiana-chan.” Mei said, helping the silver-haired girl sit down.

“Mei senpai, Bronya…” Kiana murmured as the room’s familiar faces gradually came into focus. “There’s something I need to tell all of you about. But can you call Auntie for me?” Kiana requested. Her face looked serious, terrified even. “This is important. Please.”

Mei and Bronya exchanged worried glances, before nodding in unison. The gravity of Kiana’s tone and the fear in Kiana’s eyes hinted at something far more serious.

The room fell into an uneasy silence as Mei dialed Theresa’s number, leaving the two women wondering what Kiana was about to reveal.

“So let me get this straight.” Said a holographic projection of the redhead scientist as she pinched the bridge of her nose, unable to process the story she had just listened to.

“You’re telling me that. The cocoon of Finality isn’t the only ‘Will of Honkai’ out there?” Tesla asked for clarification.

“Yes.” Kiana nodded.

“And that, there’s ANOTHER Will of Honkai on another planet similar to ours?”

“Yep, I saw it with my own eyes. Not directly but as a spectator? I guess you can say that?” Kiana tilted her head, unsure.

“And those people managed to defeat the Will of Honkai, which is an amalgamation of multiple unknown beings from a different universe.”

“Yeah. Kyuushou said it came from its own universe and they've been using Honkai energy from that universe as a source of energy for forty years.”

"But the Will of Honkai or rather the Ruler of Will came back and wanted revenge.”

“Yeah, and Kyuushou said it seemed smarter, more calculative with its actions. Compared to before." 

“And that's why it is merging our Earth and their Earth because we're the only other planet that survived and conquered the Honkai phenomenon like them." 

"Mhm.” Another nod from Kiana.

“Haa." Tesla sighed, scratching her head. “Oi mophead are you listening to any of this!?" Tesla turned her head towards her blue-haired colleague.

“Miss Kiana's explanation would explain the unusual energy fluctuations that happened for the past few months. However, I didn't expect it because our world was merging with another.” Einstein calmly replied.

“Great. Just exactly the information we need after the Sky People invasion." Tesla sarcastically remarked.

"Sky people?” Kiana asked, tilting her head, confused.

"In simpler terms, they're aliens, Kiana. We managed to repel their invasion four years ago. Welt and Void Archive then traveled through space hoping they could find an answer to the Sky People problem but…” Theresa frowned. 

"What happened to Mister Welt?” Kiana asked, concerned.

"We lost contact with him soon after he went to space. We haven't heard anything from him since.” Theresa explained, hearing that Kiana frowned, turning her gaze towards the redhead scientist.

“It's fine, it's fine.” Tesla waved her hand, sighing. "We have bigger problems on our hands now. Welt would probably be fine out there.“

“I could try and locate Mister Welt.” Kiana offered but Tesla turned her down.

“Thanks for the offer, Kiana but right now why don’t you open a portal or some sort of connection to Houkai Gakuen or whatever. Out there Welt is safer than whatever threat we’re going to face anyway.” Tesla said, shrugging her shoulders dismissively.

“Okay so… What do I do now?” Kiana asked.

“I propose that we should gradually reintroduce Honkai energy back to Earth. Valkyries are needed more than ever now.” Einstein proposed an idea to which Theresa agreed.

“Since my niece is now the Herrscher of Finality it should be fine. But what about Herrschers? Kiana, do you think you can create more Herrschers?” Theresa asked.

“Ov-overseer Theresa. Isn’t that a bit too much?” Mei asked, worried about the idea of making people into Herrschers. All previous twelve Herrschers were heralds or rather the shadow of the Herrscher of Finality. While now they knew Herrschers weren’t inherently hostile there was still a chance for them to turn rogue and become a bigger problem for them.

After all, Mei was one of them when she couldn’t control her alter ego. The Herrschers of Ice, Stars, Domination, and Corruption were another example.

“Unlike before we have Kiana as the Herrscher of Finality now. All Herrscher authority directly came from her.” Theresa argued and both of the scientists seemed to agree.

“Th-that’s true.”

“Then to minimize the risk we should choose someone with high Honkai adaptability. Someone that’s mentally stable and someone that we could trust. Also, Mei, this is a matter of survival. We would need all the help we could get.” Theresa added

“I-I understand.” Mei backed down.

“How much time do we have? New Herrschers can be powerful but it would be better if they knew how to utilize their powers to a certain degree.” Bronya asked.

“Kyuusyou said we’d have at least a month,” Kiana answered.

“Alright. We’ll continue to monitor any changes and Kiana, stay there. I’m coming to you.” Einstein ordered. “We need to set up some stuff so that we can communicate with Houkai Gakuen. I’ll explain what you’ll need to do once I get there.” She said as her holographic projection vanished.

“Okay, Dr. Einstein.” Kiana replied.

“Mei, Bronya. You two stay with Kiana.” Theresa ordered.

“Yes.” Mei and Bronya simultaneously answered.

“And Kiana. I know it’s probably not the right time to say it but welcome back.” Theresa said, her tone was softer. Her lips formed into a smile, relieved that her niece was safe and sound.

Kiana let out an awkward laugh. “Ehehe sorry for bringing bad news the moment I woke up.” She said, awkwardly scratching the back of her head with a sheepish grin.

Theresa shook her head. “No one’s blaming you. But thanks to you, we know that our enemy is coming at least. Anyway, talk to you later.” With that, their call ended, leaving a brief silence in its wake. Seems like they would have a lot to do now.

The trio stood together. A bittersweet smile tugged on their lips as they glanced at each other. “Just like the old times huh?” Kiana said with nostalgia in her eyes, trying to lighten up the mood.

Without a word, Mei stepped forward and pulled the silver-haired woman into a tight embrace, as if she was afraid that Kiana would disappear again. “Welcome back, Kiana.” Mei whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “I missed you.”

Kiana felt the warmth of Mei’s embrace envelop her, and she leaned into it as she wrapped her arms around her friend in return. “Mhm… I’m back.” Kiana murmured.

Bronya watched them, her usually stoic expression softening as she gently placed her hand on Kiana’s shoulder. “Idiot. You made us all worry you know.” The grey-haired woman said as Kiana chuckled. 

As they waited for the blue-haired scientist to arrive, Mei and Bronya filled Kiana in on everything she had missed over the past six years. In that moment, the trio found comfort in each other’s presence, rekindling the connection they had always shared.

24 December 2029

A month passed since Kiana's awakening. Schicksal had taken her warning seriously, perhaps way too seriously as they prepared for the inevitable war with the Will of Honkai. 

With the reintroduction of Honkai energy to Earth’s surface Valkyries’ training was intensified, and moon rings– A bracelet-like object that helped convert excess Honkai energy into regular energy– were mass-produced to combat the effects of Honkai degradation, Three new Herrschers were even created to combat the new threat and recently Schicksal had even passed a martial law to prevent many civilian casualties.

As for Kiana. She was lying down on the moon’s surface, gazing upon her home planet. The mesmerizing blue glow glued her eyes to it. “No matter how much time I look at it, It always looks beautiful.” Kiana murmured.

“I wish I could help everyone down there.” Kiana sighed. “There’s nothing much to do up here!” Being the Herrscher of Finality had its downsides, while Honkai Energy had been reintroduced into Earth’s ecosystem. Kiana’s mere presence on its surface would still cause another eruption.

While it wouldn’t be as bad as the previous eruptions, since there wouldn’t be any Herrschers or Honkai Beasts spawning and causing havoc, there would be a lot of casualties as regular people would still suffer from severe Honkai degradation.

“Even someone from Venus can visit Earth freely. Haa, I envy her.” Since there was a possibility that the Venus bubble world would also be attacked, Griseo visited Earth and offered her help.

Everyone was busy with their own thing and of course, Kiana had her own task of defending the moon. ”Sometimes I wish Auntie would send someone to accompany me.” Kiana frowned. Even if she’s an extrovert who can easily talk to anyone, her days tend to get rather lonely without her friends or family accompanying her on the moon.

Then a sudden tear appeared in the fabric of space, distorting the starry void with its unnatural presence. The rift widened, its edges crackling with raw energy, and without warning, two women were violently ejected from its depths. They tumbled through the vacuum, crash-landing onto the moon’s barren surface, sending up clouds of lunar dust. 

Kiana watched in shock. "What… Hey are yo-” The rift continued to pulse ominously, emitting an eerie, otherworldly aura that made Kiana's skin crawl. It froze her in place as her gaze slowly fixated on the rift.

The space surrounding the rift shimmered, distorted by the intense concentration of Honkai energy seeping from it. Kiana instinctively flinched, feeling the malevolent aura washing over her like a suffocating wave. "Just what the hell is happening? Even the cocoon didn’t feel this ominous." she murmured, cold sweat dripping down her forehead as she watched the rift intently.

From within the heart of the rift, something monstrous began to take shape. The creature that emerged was a nightmarish being known as the Ruler of Will, its form both alien and terrifying. Its black skeletal hands gripped the border of the rift, trying to pull itself out of the rift.

Kiana felt a chill run down her spine as The Ruler fixed its gaze on the Herrscher of Finality standing beneath it. 

Using the authority of binding, Kiana summoned chains that wrapped around the Ruler’s body, preventing them from crossing over from the rift.

“Auntie! The Ruler of Will is here!” Tapping her finger on her earpiece, Kiana called Theresa. “I’ve immobilized it but I don’t think it’ll last long. What should I do?”

However, Theresa didn’t respond.

So Kiana tried to call her friends. “Mei? Bronya? Senti?” But nobody answered. On a desolate rock devoid of life. Kiana Kaslana was left alone to fend for herself.

Chapter Text

The ruler cast its gaze on the human standing beneath it. The inner machinations of its thoughts were incomprehensible to all living beings. A single absolute thought exists in its mind: to conquer and destroy everything in this new universe it had stumbled upon. 

The Herrscher of Finality could only watch as the Ruler tried to claw its way into this world from the cracks in the middle of space. Even with the Authority of Binding, she couldn’t bind that monster for too long.

Kyuushou was right. This being was on a whole other level. Kiana had never felt such hostility before; even the Cocoon had never borne such hostility toward humanity.

Kiana had the power of god at her fingertips, an Authority that could mold the world around her to whatever she wished. Yet the Herrscher of Finality still felt nervous.

Kiana knew the Ruler’s enormous power. She started to doubt that she could ever beat this thing. Would their plan even work? No, it had to work. 40 years of constant battle should’ve at least weakened it to a reasonable degree.

Their battle might’ve been longer than 40 years as time might work differently in the Ruler’s home world.

Kiana raised her hand to her ear, putting her finger on the small communication device. “Auntie! The ruler is here! I’ve immobilized it, but I don’t think it’ll last long,” the Herrscher shouted into her earpiece.

…

…

…

But no response came from the other side. 

“Auntie?” 

Was her communication device malfunctioning? Kiana decided to check if that was true by using the Authority of Reason, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Her device was functioning properly. 

“But why’s there no response?” Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t hear any static from it either. If the signal was jammed or interrupted she would’ve been getting static but there’s simply nothing from the other side.

“This can’t be right! Why am I not getting any signal? Ugh, let’s try something else”

“Mei? Bronya? Senti! Aunt Teri!” Kiana tried to contact the other Herrschers, using their Herrscher cores to communicate. “Seele!? Adam!? Timido!” To her horror, no response came from any of them. 

She could feel their Herrscher cores just fine, although something seemed to be blocking her communications with them. She couldn’t even use the Authority of the Void to return to Earth.

As if that weren't enough, Kiana glanced for a second to see how her planet was holding up only to see it burning to the ground as multiple Honkai impacts and nuclear explosions simultaneously happened everywhere at once.

She was now alone. The Ruler had isolated her and the Cocoon’s influence from the rest of Earth. Kiana could only hope that her friends could handle their problems on Earth. But against the other Rulers, does Earth truly stand a chance? The Herrschers might, but civilization as they know it might not survive.

Kiana grits her teeth. Is there a way she could indirectly help her friends from here? She couldn’t leave the moon alone as people were living in New Atra. Most of them were Schicksal staff members, and who knew what the Ruler might do to the Cocoon if it got their hands on it.

Brute force was her only option here. Thankfully, no Honkai beasts spawned here on the moon. The only enemy she’d face was that giant eldritch monster before her.

“Ow, my head.” Kiana perked up. Did she hear that correctly? Someone was groaning, a woman to be exact. But why did her voice sound familiar?

“Oh!” Now Kiana remembers. That voice must’ve been from the two figures she saw falling to the moon earlier when the Ruler of Will arrived. “Wait. They came from the cracks, didn’t they? Crap, do I have to fight a 3v1?” 

Kiana had to make a decision fast. She took a short glance at the Ruler currently still stuck. With that, her decision was made.

The Herrscher of Finality created a void portal and appeared in front of the two unknown figures, ready to pull the trigger.

“!” Her finger stopped at the trigger. She couldn't believe she almost shot another human! 

Their Honkai signature felt so alien that Kiana mistook them as an enemy, but they were actually human like her.

“Kiana-chan?” The purple-haired girl looks confused

“Huh? Isn’t that another me?” While the white-haired one looked baffled and pointed her finger at Kiana.

These two figures look exactly like her friend, Raiden Mei, and herself. Kiana wondered if she were meeting her other world counterpart like Kyuushou had previously mentioned in her dreams. They were Kyuushou’s friends were they not?

Both of them were wearing a dress. The Herrscher of the End or “Kiana” had a white dress while the Herrscher of Thunder or “Mei” had a black one. The dresses compliment the two women’s looks, showing their elegant side while allowing them to move freely.

A loud roar caught their attention. The Ruler of Will was starting to break through the chains with which the Herrscher of Finality binds them. All of them put their doubts aside for now as they have a bigger problem that needs to be dealt with quickly.

“Ugh. So tenacious.” The Herrscher of the End let out a frustrated sigh. “Yo, other me. Sorry to drag you into our problems but could you lend us a hand?” The Herrscher gazed at her other self as she summoned two pistols in her hands.

“I was about to ask for your help. People are living nearby. We should drag that thing towards the dark side of the moon and let’s try to end this quick. My home’s in trouble.” The Herrscher of Finality gazes upwards. Her gaze was undeterred, she threw away any seeds of doubt that had been planted in her mind.

The other two Herrschers took a quick peek at Earth and realized the severity of their situation. Their heart sank as they saw the horrifying scene. Someone else’s home was now being invaded by the same enemy they were supposed to subjugate. Guilt racked up in their heart, if only they were stronger.

“You two. Focus.” The other two Herrschers looked at the back of the Herrscher of Finality. Despite knowing all of that, the Herrscher of Finality stayed strong. The two felt her fiery determination to save her home and smiled. They couldn’t help but admire her passion.

The Herrscher of The End couldn’t help but smile at her counterpart’s determination. “Yeah. Let’s finish this.” The Herrscher of the End replies. With their respective weapons at hand, The three Herrschers jumped. 

The Ruler broke away from its restraint as it let out another roar. Their clash was inevitable as It shook the entire moon, signaling the clash between multiple gods.

Earth, Hours after the initial impact

Human civilization is crumbling, One by one another city succumbs to total destruction. Unlike Schicksal, the world governments aren’t as prepared to deal with such threats, Despite the new anti-Honkai weaponry they have developed.

Hordes of Zombies and the Will’s parasites, a Honkai being that looks like a human-sized virus. It has a cube-like shape as a head and tentacles as its limbs. They became a major problem for Schicksal and the remaining major powers of the world. 

Though ironically these foreign Honkai invaders were also attacked by their own kind. The Cocoon’s Honkai beasts and the Ruler’s army of zombies always clashed with one another whenever they met. If it wasn’t for that, human civilization would’ve ended much sooner.

Inside the overseer’s sanctorum the small Schicksal’s overseer, Theresa Apocalypse sat on her desk. She frowned every time she read the news report. A large amount of human casualties are to be expected each time she opens one.

Frustrated over their current situation, Theresa let out a big sigh as she rested her entire body onto the cozy armchair.

Admittedly there’s nothing much that she could do. As much as she wanted to send some forces out to help out, their main headquarters in Salt Lake City was constantly under siege by the Ruler of Will’s forces.

Because of that, every Herrscher including herself is unable to leave this base. All of Schicksal’s best personnel are needed here as well, leaving the entire world to fend for themselves.

Valkyries below A rank would be canon fodder if they ever encounter any of the Will’s parasites. So the overseer entrusted most of them to be on guard duty in Salt Lake City’s bunker, where they housed every non-combatant personnel as well as the citizens of the city and the families of the Valkyries.

She could only hope that the other major Schicksal bunkers can hold out until the end. But with this war of attrition can Humanity truly hold until the end? While the Ruler’s Honkai doesn’t seem to be getting stronger with each passing moment they aren’t getting weaker either.

Sure they get a bit weaker each time humanity manages to take down a Ruler of Will. But the loss on their side made it far too costly for a single victory.

The worst part isn’t just their death toll. Schicksal has lost all forms of communication with its biggest asset, The Herrscher of Finality from the start of the war. 

For hours they have tried every method of contact, yet nothing worked. They also couldn’t contact their new allies from the other world. The Ruler of Will had systematically isolated their world from Honkai Gakuen’s world and the moon.

“Theresa sama.” A woman said out of concern for her leader’s mental stability. She is Theresa’s assistant/secretary. The woman has long white hair and beautiful blue eyes like her overseer, though she covered those beautiful blue eyes behind an orange visor.

“I’m fine, Amber,” Theresa replied to her assistant. “What’s the status of Kiana or Honkai Gakuen’s headmaster, Houraiji Kyuushou?” She asked.

Amber sighed. “Still zero progress on contacting them, Theresa Sama.”

“I see.” Theresa closes her eyes. Yeah, what did she expect? Unless they can create a miracle. This situation wouldn’t change. Still, Theresa had hope that her niece would be fine even if they didn’t help her. 

“Amber, you don’t have to speak formally to me when we’re alone, you know that right?”

“I’m sorry. Old habits die hard it seems.” Amber awkwardly replied.

“It’s fine, Amber.” Though onto more pressing matters. “Amber, what’s the status on our frontlines?” Theresa asked.

Her assistant quickly began to work. She tapped away on the holographic screen in front of her as she scoured through their database to find any relevant information on the matter. 

“The Eastern Front is holding. Fu Hua, Griseo, and the Herrscher of sentience are doing well against the endless wave of zombies.” Amber swiped the holographic screen and in an instant, all of the relevant data appeared on Theresa’s computer.

Through the live footage on Griseo’s bodycam, she saw how her Valkyries were holding up. Without rest, these MANTISes swept away the battlefield as they cleared out hordes of zombies with relative ease.

With only B-rank Valkyries as their long-range support, the front still held on quite well despite the onslaught of zombies rushing through. Theresa noticed the lack of frontline support for those 3. “Unfortunately, the other melee fighters are too tired or too injured to continue,” Amber commented on the situation. 

“These 3 shouldn’t have any issues as of now. But wouldn’t they get tired if this drags out?”

“Yes, our only option is to preemptively strike cities that were about to fall or already fallen to the hands of the Ruler to prevent any zombies that had accumulated there from going to other cities or here.”

Theresa grimaced at the thought. Is it really their only viable option? She hated using weapons of mass destruction, especially with how Otto had abused it in the past but on the other hand, she knew why Amber had stated that as an option. To reduce the number of casualties on their side and reduce the burdens of those Valkyries who are valiantly fighting on the frontlines.

As much as she wants to look at the positives. Realistically there shouldn’t be any survivors in those cities. Even if there is, they wouldn’t be able to last long either without food, water, or medication available, and with the amount of Honkai beasts nearby, it’d be impossible to send in any aid.

“But wouldn’t that make me the same as Grandpa if I ordered it?” It is a very extreme method, but the benefit outweighs the cost. Rationally speaking it is the best decision she could make in this situation. She would also potentially save a lot of her own people in the process.

Theresa closes her eyes. Millions of possible scenarios played in her head. As the overseer of Schicksal, She must ensure humanity’s survival. That is her top priority, the problem regarding reclamation can be dealt with later after this war has ended.

“I don’t have much of a choice do I?” Theresa whispered under her breath. Eventually, Theresa gave up on trying to look for another solution and gave her order.

“Send in the nukes, Amber.” Her people were giving their all in this war. She has to lessen their burdens somehow.

Amber nodded, she laid her finger on the button but before she sent those weapons of mass destruction, she needed to confirm one thing. “Where do you want me to send them?”

“Provinces nearby that have fallen to the Ruler’s control. Additionally, if you spot a wave of Will’s Parasites or a Ruler of Will themselves, target them as well.” Theresa answered.

“Understood.” Amber carried out her order. Without hesitation, she pushes the button, activating all of the available ICBM. Missile silos from across the globe opened their hatch and unleashed humanity’s doomsday machines onto the world.

Soon those cities will be set ablaze. No, more accurately they’ll be evaporated from the face of the Earth and only ashes will remain in its place. These Honkai-powered nukes are humanity’s greatest weapon. A bomb so powerful that it could even kill a Herrscher and left no trace of its existence.

“...” Theresa lowered her gaze as she witnessed the destruction live from the screen of her computer. She has become a destroyer of the world.

“Theresa?” Amber asked, concerned about her Overseer’s mental health. Perhaps she shouldn’t have suggested that.

Amber noticed Theresa’s hands were shaking a little. Despite Theresa’s best efforts to calm herself down, the pent-up stress has caught up to her. The losses and the drastic measures they must take to survive this cruel world have taken their toll on the overseer’s mind.

“Cecilia, I’m sorry, I’ve failed. In the end, I’m not even that different than Grandpa.” Theresa covered her face with her hands. “We’ve lost too many. I should’ve been more firm from the start… If I were smarter, I could’ve thought about a better way and save those innocent lives, I could’ve… ”

SLAP–

The sound of a single slap rang throughout the room. “Theresa!” In a state of shock, Theresa's gaze turned towards Amber as she caressed her cheek. Never in a lifetime would she expect Amber to do that. 

She has always been like a maid and obediently does her tasks. Amber rarely speaks against her overseer even during Theresa’s reign. She’s always loyal to the current overseer. She trusted them to be a competent leader that Amber could follow. And because of that unwavering loyalty, the obedient secretary stepped up and gave her leader a hard slap.

“I apologize for my rude behavior just then. But what has been done has been done. Don’t let the past be a burden to you, Theresa.” Amber firmly grabs Theresa’s shoulder. 

“Without a strong leader like you, we wouldn’t have survived for this long. So please don’t blame yourself for what had happened. You did what you could.”

“Don’t concern yourself over the matter of ‘what ifs’. Let the past stay in the past. What matters is the decision we make for the future. Isn’t that why you set up St. Freya in the first place? To create a better present and future for the Valkyries?”

“I’m going to make a school for Valkyries. A high school for upcoming Valkyries and have them enjoy their adolescent days.” Cecilia stated to Theresa. It was a noble idea. It was an idea that bloomed after she experienced what the outside world had to offer.

If it wasn’t for Siegfried, Cecilia might not have continued to live a sheltered life. Siegfried changed her life and Theresa saw that change in her friend’s eyes. That passionate gaze never left her eyes till the very end.

“...” Her firm gaze soothes Theresa’s anxious heart a bit. The determination she felt from Amber’s gaze reminded her of her friend’s determination to change her world. 

“It was Cecilia’s Idea but just like her. I also wanted to create a better future for them.” the petite overseer smiled at her secretary. Her will to fight has been rekindled as remembers the reason why she continues to struggle.

For a better future, Theresa must press on. she can’t let her guilt burden her. She can’t let those who have sacrificed themselves die in vain. As their leader, she must see it through to the end.

Her people, her fellow sisters must’ve felt the same burden when they saw their comrades sacrifice themselves so that they could live on and continue the fight. 

“Thank you for reminding me, Amber.”

“I’m happy that it helped,” Amber replied with a warm smile. She’s happy that her overseer managed to come back to her senses.

However, their brief moment of peace didn’t last very long as they received a very chilling alarm.

Theresa immediately stood up. Hearing that alarm means only one thing, a frontline is starting to collapse. 

Amber immediately picked up her tablet that was sitting on the table. “It’s the western front.” She said as she read out the report. “They’re requesting immediate backup.” The western front is the front where the Herrscher of Rebirth Seele Vollerei and the immortal blades are located as well as many other elite A-rank squads.

“Unfortunately, there are no other available A-rank squads to provide them any assistance. Should we move some of the squads from the Eastern Front to the Western Front? Or perhaps we should make all of the A-rank squadrons that are currently in charge of defending the bunker to the Western Front and let all of the B-rank squadrons defend that position?”

Both are good suggestions but if Theresa chose one or the other, that would severely weaken the bunker’s defense forces or put more burden on Fu Hua to guard the Eastern Frontline. 

If the frontline collapses, someone or something needs to defend the bunker as the inhabitants of the bunker wouldn’t be able to fight the incoming wave themselves, if the Honkai broke through their last line of defense.

But is that really her only option? Fortunately for her, it isn’t as there’s still one more Herrscher who hasn’t been deployed yet and that is herself. 

“I’ll go.” As a Herrscher she’s more than capable of carrying the responsibilities of many A-rank Valkyries on her back. Sending her would be the most effective way to reduce the burdens on the Herrscher of Rebirth and stabilize the front.

“Theresa…” Amber looked worried.’ Was she still blaming herself?’ Amber thought to herself.

“Amber. Sorry, but I can’t compromise our defenses by sending out those A-rank squadrons.”

“But then who’ll lead Schicksal if you went to the frontlines?” A valid question from her secretary. Without a leader to lead them, chaos would ensue but thankfully Theresa had thought about an alternative.

“I’ll entrust them to you, Amber. You’ll be given command over our Valkyries as a temporary overseer.”

“Me?” Amber points at herself. “But I have no prior experience in leading such a massive organization.”

“You are the secretary of Otto and Me, aren’t you? Even without firsthand experience, you’ve seen how the overseer manages things up close and personal. So, Amber, I have faith in you.” Theresa gave her an encouraging smile. 

Amber wanted to reject it. But It would be selfish of her if she did that. Right now Theresa is needed elsewhere and it is her job to help the current overseer in any way she could.

So reluctantly Amber nods. “If that’s your order then I’ll try my best.”

With that Theresa immediately picked up her weapon, The Oath of Judah, and bolted out of the room.

“Stay safe, Theresa,” Amber said with a slight bow. It saddens her that she had to see her overseer leave. “Ehre Sei Der Menschheit.” Amber uttered quietly as she sat back on her desk.

“To all personnel. This is your overseer speaking.” Theresa spoke through her communication device. With every single one of her Valkyries and Knights listening in, she kept the message brief and simple. “I will be joining the battlefield. From this point onwards, Amber, My secretary will assume the role of a commander. This war will be won in our victory, EHRE SEI DER MENSCHHEIT!!”

Glory to Mankind

For our Motherland.

Humanity shall prevail, at all costs.

Western Front

Things were starting to get dire. The Herrscher of Rebirth, Seele Völlerei was regarded as one of the main pillars that kept this whole frontline working in the first place and is now reaching her limit due to the constant attacks by the Ruler’s side.

She was the sole reason why there haven’t been many casualties in the Western theatre. Her powers to heal any wounds have helped numerous A-Rank Valkyries to continue fighting in this war. 

While the Immortal Blades do contribute a lot to their defensive efforts. It is undeniable that without the Authority of Rebirth, this front would’ve been impossible to defend as there were simply not enough Valkyries that had the strength that could be considered an S-Rank.

If they send in more Herrschers then the Northern front would collapse as they’re facing a much deadlier threat than the Will’s Parasites and that is the Rulers themselves. This was the best compromise they had and unfortunately, it didn’t occur to anyone at the time that the Ruler’s army would relentlessly attack all the time and not give them any room to breathe.

It was as if the Rulers were desperate to seize this one and only chance for an easy victory over the humans.

Seele Vollerei fell onto her knees as blood dripped out of her nose and the corners of her lips. She’s pushing herself way past her limit. If there were only a few people injured it’ll be fine but she has to constantly heal a dozen or more people simultaneously throughout the invasion.

‘Not yet.’ Seele thought to herself. She can’t disappoint her other self, Seele Veliona who’s fighting valiantly with the rest of the Valkyries. She had to endure it.

Using her scythe as a support she’s barely able to stand up. But her will to fight didn’t falter. Even with her current condition, the Herrscher of Rebirth still forces herself to take action.

“Seele. That’s enough.” She heard a familiar voice right beside her.

“He-Head master Th-Theresa!” Seele replied. She was shocked to see her here.

“Leave things to me. You’ve done well.” Theresa smiled. The petite overseer gave her former student a light tap on her back before moving forward.

“B-But!” Seele tried to argue but the overseer didn’t budge.

“Seele. Don’t be stubborn. Listen your help is still needed but if you continue to cripple yourself like this then it’ll be hard for you to give us any support. Do you understand?” Theresa left the part where it was the other Seele that called her here. She’d hoped that Seele would understand her situation.

And fortunately for Theresa, Seele understood. The Herrscher of Rebirth then nodded her head in response.

“Good, stay back and rest.” Theresa gave her a reassuring smile. “You deserve it, Seele.”

The petite overseer then stabs the ground with the Oath of Judah. Now that she has the Authority of Binding and the Oath of Judah itself, Once the Grace Field is active she could control the nullification effect of the field. 

Essentially as the Herrscher of Binding, she’s able to create a field where her allies can fight with all of their powers while stripping the enemies of their powers by nullifying their Honkai energy.

[Zeroth Power: Elysion Pedion] Theresa activated her Divine Key as multiple mechanical golden gears materialized in the sky, creating a large dome structure. The gears ticked the field’s effects were felt across most of the Western Theatre.

Honkai beasts began to lose the energy to fight, While the Will’s parasites lost their ability to float up in the air making them all plummet to the ground. Using this opportunity all the Valkyries immediately went for the high-priority targets killing them with ease.

Underneath this field effects they were relatively safe from the Will’s army but unfortunately, Theresa couldn’t keep it up forever over a wide distance. If she was alone, perhaps she could let her powers loose and kill every Honkai beast within her vicinity, but that would leave her alone without any backup.

Controlling the field nullification effects was harder than it seemed. At best, she could only keep it up for a few minutes but that would be enough for the Valkyries to rest and reorganize themselves.

“Valkyries! Knights! Prepare for combat! Don’t be reckless and focus on the defending! The Grace Field will deactivate in 3…” Theresa said as all the Valkyries in the area immediately prepared themselves for the upcoming invasion. the Ruler’s army patiently waited for the Herrscher of Binding to deactivate her field. The Ruler’s intelligence was proven to be an annoyance in a time like this.

“2…1!” As the countdown ended. The field nullification effects were gone in an instant and soon a horde of Emperor Class Honkai beasts rushed forward. Heating up the battlefield once again.

Meanwhile, On the Northern Front

Unlike, the other fronts. The Northern Front was hit the worst as the Ruler of Will themselves attacked from this front. So Schicksal sent the remaining Herrschers to defend it and some A-Rank Squadrons to take care of the zombies and other Honkai beasts that passed through.

Every Ruler of Will they’ve encountered also varied in terms of power and appearance.

The four Herrschers gathered around a giant Ruler’s corpse that they had just subjugated and reorganized themselves. “Any injuries?” Raiden Mei asked, she was the leader of the group.

“No permanent injuries sustained on Bronya. Internal organs are still functioning perfectly. There are some scratches and bruises but nothing that Bronya couldn’t heal. I’ll take a look around to see if there are still any enemies in the area.” Bronya replied before leaving the group for a while to patrol the area. Making sure they wouldn’t suddenly get ambushed while resting by a random Honkai beasts.

Mei nodded and focused her attention on the other 2 Herrschers. They were tired, Mei could visibly see that. Unlike her and Bronya who had become Herrschers for a long period, Adam and Timido only became one recently as such They didn’t have the experience Mei had.

Their use of their abilities is obviously less efficient. The circumstances are also very unfavorable as the Rulers weren’t giving them any time to relax. Sooner or later these two wouldn’t be able to fight due to sheer exhaustion and unfortunately, there’s no one else that could replace their position.

“Only cuts and bruises captain. But it’ll heal. Though my muscles are all sore.” Adam was the first one to reply. He was sitting down while resting his back against the Ruler’s corpse. The Black haired young man looked really out of breath.

Adam is the Herrscher of Flames. He uses a Great sword called the Labor of Olympus as his weapon of choice. Being the Herrscher of Flames means that he’d be able to withstand the heat that the weapon produces when it’s charged with Honkai energy. 

“M-my heels hurt but I can still walk just fine. So everything is fi-fine” Timido, the timid girl with a short pink-haired who’s currently sitting beside Adam replied. She’s the new Herrscher of Ice and her weapon of choice is a Pair of Ice skates. A rather unique choice for a weapon.

Just like Adam, Timido also looked tired though much less so than the Herrscher of Flames. Overall things weren’t looking good. This war had no sign of ending anytime soon and it looked like they won’t be getting any backup from Honkai Gakuen too.

‘Theresa-san is already holding the Western Front. If only we have a Herrscher of the Void maybe we can do something about the Honkai Gakuen’s situation….’ Mei sighed as she thought about her dear friend while looking up at the gray sky.

‘Kiana-chan must’ve her own problems up there. Is there really no way for us to contact her or help? I could try using the Authority of Origin again but…’  The Authority of Origin has the power to sever “threads” or connect them. That is how the three of them were able to beat Kevin 4 years ago. By creating a “link” between herself, Bronya, and Kiana.

Because of that “link”, Mei and Bronya were able to match Kiana’s level of power. Without it, the two of them would certainly be a burden during the fight against Deliverance Kevin. But Mei had tried using that same Authority to create a “connection” between Earth and the Moon. Unfortunately, that plan had failed as something was blocking her way whenever she tried.

The Ruler must’ve done something. But the Herrscher of Origin couldn’t figure out what it was or a way to get around their blockade.

‘I’ve already linked every Herrscher on Earth even linking with the hostless Herrscher cores.’ Mei sighed. Doing it again felt pointless and it would be a waste of her time and energy. There must’ve been something else that she missed.

Her purple eyes scanned the battlefield, not really looking for anything specific. Mei’s just lost in her thoughts. What else could she use her powers on? There must be something she hasn’t tried yet.

Using it to connect the space between Earth and the moon? Or Earth and Houkai Gakuen? She already tried that to little to no avail. Just like she previously thought she’d need the Authority of Void to try something like that more effectively. Unfortunately, the Core of Void was on the moon with Kiana.

And then something clicked in her mind. A spark of an idea, if you will.

A lightbulb turned on inside her head, enlightening her with an idea she had never thought about. What if she severed the Ruler's connection to this world? If she did wouldn’t she be able to weaken their influence?

But just like cancer that has spread locally, a stage 3 cancer or even a stage 4 cancer. It has rooted itself deep within their planetary system or perhaps even the entire solar system. The consequences of one wrong cut would be massive and maybe irreversible.

Mei doesn’t want to think about the destruction she could cause, but what if the consequences were different? Right now Mei doesn’t have a definitive answer for this very question. She had to experiment to find that answer.

She turned her gaze over to the Ruler’s corpse. But would this method work? Or did she need a live one? Getting a live one would have its own set of complications. If Kyuushou’s words were to be correct then it’d be almost impossible to use her powers on a live one without suffering any major consequence. Killing one is already hard as it is let alone capturing one.

A Ruler of Will could easily corrupt you and turn you into their puppet if they ever got their limbs, tentacles, or hands on you. Even a Herrscher isn’t safe from this level of Honkai corruption. 

All humans and Herrschers would turn into zombies if the Ruler ever caught them, and as far as they could tell there are no exceptions to this. Just like any zombies, they’ll be impossible to save as they can’t be reverted back into a normal functioning human, with only one way of finding out. Mei rested her palm on the Ruler’s corpse. ‘Please work...’ She prayed. Mei used her Authority of Origin on the corpse to try and sever the Ruler’s influence on this world.

……

…

Nothing happened. Mei let out a disappointed sigh. It seems when a Ruler dies they would no longer be a part of the hivemind anymore.

“Mei nee-san, Do you have something in mind? You looked bothered.” Bronya asked. The grey-haired woman walks towards her friend. She had just finished a quick patrol.

“Oh, you’re back Bronya. It’s nothing much really I was trying something. It didn’t work.” Mei replied. She crossed her arms while staring at the corpse in front of her.

“... What were you trying to achieve?”

“A way to sever or reduce the Ruler’s influence. But seems like when they’re dead they’re not a part of the hivemind anymore, therefore my powers wouldn’t work.”

“So we need a live one?”

“Mhm.” Mei nods her head.

Bronya sighed. “It is too risky.” The Herrscher of Truth spoke out what everyone thought at the moment.

“We don’t have much of a choice. We need Kiana’s help or at the very least Houraiji-san’s help. Our defense won’t hold much longer.” Mei argued.

“But what if it doesn’t work, Mei nee-san?” Bronya frowned a little. The woman was worried that something would go wrong if they tried to do something like this. There’s no guarantee any of it will work.

“Then we’ll just have to do our job and defend this post like before. But have a little faith, Bronya-chan, if things work out. It might even turn the tide of this war.”

Bronya looked unsure. She knows that Mei is right but at the same time, she couldn’t agree to this absurd idea without any contingency plans in mind. Both Adam and Timido also expressed their worries through their facial expressions though they didn’t dare to speak up about their reluctance to follow through with Mei’s idea.

“...We’ll need to discuss and plan that out first. I suggest we wait for Theresa’s orders before doing something this risky.” Bronya replied.

“...I suppose you’re right.” Mei sighed. “Sorry for being too hasty I should’ve thought about it a bit more.” The purple-haired woman was already mentally tired from all of this fighting. She just wished to prevent any more deaths and perhaps help her best friend a little.

“I understand Mei nee-san worries. I think it’s a good idea for the gamble, but we should also consider how we could increase our odds first. To minimize the risk of our losses if it did happen. We can’t afford to have the worst-case scenario play out.”

“Do you have any suggestions?” Mei asked.

“Not in our current condition.” Bronya looked over to the other two. Mei’s lips curled down into a frown as she looked at her junior’s condition. She’s wondering if she should make them retreat and fight with only Bronya on her side.

Unfortunately, time wouldn’t let her think about an optimal compromise as the ground beneath them started to shake. Both Adam and Timido quickly got up on their feet as Mei calmly assessed the situation. A new horde of enemies was closing in on their position.

“Damnit” Adam cursed under his breath. Their enemies really weren’t going to give them any time to recuperate. The young Herrscher tightly gripped his Greatsword.

A new Ruler of Will has appeared, This particular one has the appearance of a gorgon. A gorgon is a mythical creature from ancient Greek mythology that had the appearance of a half-snake half humanoid with the human attribute being the top half of the body while the snake part is the bottom half.

The Herrschers noticed a blindfold covering where its eyes should be. Though it doesn’t seem to hinder its movements at all. Perhaps it could still see the world through other methods.

The Ruler stretched one of its giant arms and pointed at the four Herrschers. “◼️⬛⬛◼️⬛!” A horrifying and unintelligible scream came out of the Ruler’s mouth. No one understood or comprehended what the Ruler of Will had just said.

Perhaps it is some sort of declaration or a command given to their zombie horde. Whatever it is the surviving humans would rather not hear the Ruler speak ever again.

“They’re ignoring us?” The zombies and Honkai beasts all ran past the Herrschers. The Ruler must’ve ordered them to go after the A-rank Valkyries instead.

“Captain. What are your orders?” Adam asked. He looked like he was ready to go for the Zombies but he hesitated. If he goes after them now and thin out their numbers, he would be out of position and the Ruler could either pick him off or his allies would be in a weaker position in fighting the bigger threat at hand.

In a split second, Mei made her decision. “...Trust our allies. We have our own objective in front of us.”

Every Herrscher prepared themselves for another fight. Their instincts told them that this wouldn’t be an easy battle.

Thunder roared high above the clouds while the battle raged on down below. The Honkai energy in the area continues to rise exponentially as the battle between Humanity’s Herrschers and the Will of Honkai heats up, figuratively and literally.

Honkai energy continued to gather around a single location and a pillar of flame emerged in its place. The fire burst forth from Adam’s Greatsword, with a single downward strike the pillar came crashing down towards the Ruler.

Opening up a path for the other three as the Authority of Flames burns away the Ruler’s summoned tentacles. “The path is clear, Captain!” Adam said breathlessly.

Mei nodded and charged forward with Bronya by her side. Timido was taking the lead, skating head first to the Ruler’s position, freezing the other summoned tentacles in their path that weren’t burnt to a crisp.

Utilizing the opening that her juniors created. Mei and Bronya jumped simultaneously as they each created diagonal slashes imbued with their Herrscher powers onto the Ruler, Creating a deep wound in the monster’s torso.

The Ruler roared in pain and anger. Annoyed that some pesky humans managed to create such a deep wound on its body. As the Ruler opened its mouth a beam of Honkai energy shoots out at the senior Herrschers.

Both of them easily dodged the attack though they’re now separated. The beam didn’t stop there and continued to melt everything in its path. 

Timido narrowly dodges it at the last second. If she hadn’t created a small wall of ice to block the beam’s path, her lower body would’ve been roasted. “I-I’m okay!” The Herrscher of Ice stated.

The Ruler wasn’t done yet, unfortunately. It gathered Honkai energy around itself as its wounds slowly closed itself. It summoned more tendrils as it violently burst out of the ground around where the Ruler was standing.

More and more tendrils burst outwards from out of the ground creating a ring-like pattern around the Ruler. Mei and Bronya had no problem cutting them down however it made it difficult for the two to regroup with them having to constantly dodge or parry the Ruler’s attacks while conserving their stamina.

“Even with that attack, the wound isn’t lethal.” Mei thought to herself. She wondered if she should stop conserving her stamina and try to quickly end this battle before another one showed up.

These Rulers were increasingly getting harder to subjugate as time went on. Stronger Ruler of Will are starting to show up and with their limited stamina, they’re fighting a losing battle if things continue to go on like this.

“Should I try that?” Mei pondered the idea. It would help turn the tide of battle if she succeeded but what if she failed? There would be too much to lose for her.

Mei shook her head, let’s play it safe for now. The battle is already challenging as it is, no need for her to add any extra risks.

The temperature of the air around the battlefield started to plummet. Ice began forming on the ground and snow fell all around the Herrscher of Origin.

Timido stomped the ground. In that instant, ice instantly froze the ground beneath them as well as the tendrils coming out of the ground. The Ruler’s bottom half was also caught in the skill’s range, completely immobilizing it as the snake half of its body turned into a block of ice.

Using this opportune moment, Bronya creates a big rail cannon twice the size of her body in a matter of seconds. It was the same rail cannon she had used in the battle against Kevin although this time she didn’t fully utilize the Herrscher of Truth’s mech form as that would use up a lot of her stamina.

She aimed the rail gun’s barrel at the Ruler’s torso instead of its head as it is easier to hit and it had been proven before that the Ruler’s anatomy is similar to a Honkai beast rather than a Herrscher.

They could survive without their “heads” but if their core was taken out or destroyed it would immediately kill them. From their initial clashes, the Herrschers had a rough estimate of where the Ruler’s core was, which lies somewhere within the upper torso.

“Fire!” Bronya said as she pulled the trigger and fired the cannon. It shot a highly concentrated blast of energy the size of a regular cannonball.

“Adam get ready to run,” Mei said just as Bronya fired her shot.

“Copy that captain.” The young Herrscher replied.

Seeing the projectile heading straight at them. the Ruler created another beam of highly concentrated Honkai energy out of its mouth to defend itself from the incoming energy ball. As the two energy clashed a massive explosion was created. Creating a massive crater in the ground from where the two projectiles met. A huge dust cloud emerged from the aftermath. 

Adam with his greatsword lit ablaze leaped out of the dust cloud. He held his greatsword near his hip as he soared through the air, using all of that built-up momentum to deal a heavy attack on the Ruler.

Mei followed her junior’s offensive with her own. Her entire body was covered in purple lightning and blitzed through the battlefield in a matter of seconds as she was now facing the Ruler’s back. At that very moment, she was ready to instantly unsheath her katana.

Though their offensive was swiftly countered. The Ruler used both of its arms to block Adam’s incoming attack. The young Herrscher of Flames was surprised by how durable the Ruler’s lower arm was as he only managed to cut in halfway into the Ruler’s limb.

It had concentrated a lot of Honkai energy into its limbs, increasing its toughness and defense.

Mei’s follow-up was also halted as the Ruler’s hair shot out, making her preemptively unsheath her blade to defend herself as such she was only able to deal shallow cuts on the Ruler’s back. She would’ve been skewered if any of that hair hit her directly.

Using its other arm the Ruler throws a punch at Adam. It sent him flying at high speeds into the ground, leaving him completely battered.

Their offensive had failed. “Adam!” Mei called out for her junior and gritted her teeth. However, she wasn’t out of the fryer just yet as the Ruler turned its attention onto the Herrscher of Origin.

Bronya tried to support her friend as best as she could so Mei could get out of her predicament by summoning and shooting the Ruler down with laser canons. Barraging it with superior firepower. 

The Ruler’s summoned tendrils made it hard for any of her shots to go through and those that got through and hit the main body weren’t able to deal any significant damage to get its attention away.

The ground started to shake once more. “!” Bronya noticed a change in the air, another wave of Honkai beasts and Will’s Parasites charging towards their location. “Timido patch Adam up then link up with me. We’ll finish this wave quickly.” Bronya ordered as the two fighters stood by each other’s side.

“O-On it!” Timido replied.

“Mei-nee san please hold on for a little bit,” Bronya muttered quietly under her breath as she summoned her mecha to quickly deal with the new waves of enemies

From Mei’s end, The Herrscher of Origin noticed in the distance that her allies were getting attacked by another wave of enemies. The Ruler has successfully separated her from the rest of her allies.

“I’ve got to get back to Bronya and Timido. But there are no openings in the Ruler’s defenses… I won’t be able to get away if I keep trying to conserve my stamina.” She had no other choice. Right now she needed to either hold her ground until the other Herrschers were able to get to her location or finish this fight all by herself.

The latter seemed very difficult to accomplish given that she wasn’t in her peak condition. Thus Mei decided to put her faith in her allies and held her ground. Hoping that she could buy her allies enough time to finish their fight. 

A storm brewed above them as Mei drew out more of her power. Purple lightning began to cover her entire body. “Here I go.” 

The fight for survival raged on.

Mei had been holding her ground for quite a while. It is an impressive feat as It shows how the human spirit hasn’t died down despite facing its greatest adversary.

But even a supersoldier could only do so much against a calamity that is in front of her. Mei might’ve inflicted a lot of wounds on her adversary but she had wrongly judged her opponent's power.

This Ruler is much stronger than the other Rulers they’ve fought before. As much as she hoped that her allies would come and help her finish off this Ruler. They weren’t able to.

The Ruler’s army relentlessly charged at them without a care for their own survival, keeping Bronya and the rest busy. Because of that Mei had to rely on herself. 

Fatigue had caught up to both of them. It is only a matter of time before one of them falls.

The Ruler continued its onslaught of attacks. Sending in her direction a barrage of energy blasts.

Mei effortlessly evaded a bunch of them as she gracefully danced in between each projectile However the Ruler didn’t leave any opening that would otherwise create a path that Mei could exploit.

With one hand Mei tightly gripped her Katana. Waiting for the opportune moment to create that opening. 

“Now!” With one swing of her Katana, Mei cuts open a new path. However unbeknownst to the Herrscher. She had fallen right into a trap the Ruler had set for her.

Mei was too focused on the energy projectile that she failed to notice a tendril creeping under the ground. The tendril sprung up and wrapped around one of her legs, preventing her from moving from her spot.

At the same time, the Ruler launched a stronger energy blast straight at her. Mei was forced to block it with her Katana and it had left her defenses open because of the recoil of that attack.

Unable to defend, she helplessly watched as the Ruler threw a heavy jab straight at her. The attack completely knocked her to the ground where it left a small crater from which the Ruler’s fists landed.

“Ack.” Mei was completely battered. Many of her bones were shattered on impact. Blood started to dripped down from her head and other parts of her body. The Herrscher of Origin lost.

The Ruler picked her up off the ground. Facing face to face against the Ruler she was now able to see the finer detail on the Ruler’s face as well as the cuts she inflicted on it.

“MEI NEE-SAN!” Mei heard her friend, Bronya shout in the distance. In the face of certain death, Mei’s determined eyes stared back at the Ruler.

However, the Ruler didn’t intend to let Mei get off the hook that easily.

“COUGH-” Blood splattered from Mei’s mouth and nose.

After all the humiliation this traitor had brought to them. She deserved a slow yet painful death.

“What is- Cough-” Mei coughed up even more blood. She struggled to breathe, every part of her body was screaming in pain. Her body was slowly degrading.

“This is…… Dammit.” No, she couldn’t die yet. Mei continued to struggle as her brain scrambled to find any kind of useful information to help her get out of this situation.

Bright pink and purple markings began to spread all over her body.

“Otousan…” Mei quietly muttered. 

“Br…Bronya……Ki...Ana.” With increasing difficulty, she muttered the names of her friends. Her most important person. Her mind continued to scramble as doubts began to form.

Is this really how she’s going to leave them? Is the situation truly hopeless?

Kiana…

If only I could meet her. The most important person in my life. I wished that she could be reunited with her. Have a laugh. Share more stories with her. Make something delicious for her.

Just this once. 

Please.

Let me meet her last time.

“Gasp-” Mei’s eyes shot open. The scenery around her had changed. 

The sky had been lit up by the stars. Its pinkish gradient gave her a familiar feeling. She stood on top of a shallow pool of water, endlessly stretching towards the horizon.

Bright glowing pink sakura petals fluttered around her. Carried away by the wind. Some fell onto the surface of the water while others disappeared into the horizon.

“Mei~” A familiar voice rang.

Mei turned around and saw an old friend. Elysia, the pink-haired elf cheerfully smiled as she waved her arm. She was wearing that same beautiful white dress that Mei remembered. The dress that Elysia wore as the Herrscher of Human.

“You’ve grown quite beautifully~ It’s been a while since we saw each other isn’t Mei?” Elysia said, her voice was filled with nostalgia. Though behind that happy facade, a hint of sadness could be heard in her voice.

“I’m flattered that you’ve come back to see me but… Mei. You’re not supposed to be here.” A sad smile is seen on Elysia’s face.

“... So am i-?”

Elysia shook her head before Mei could even finish her sentence.

“I see.”

“Mei… It’s rude to leave without saying goodbyes you know.” Elysia replied. Her voice was filled with sorrow. She didn’t think this would be the time that she’d meet her best friend again.

“......I know. But I ca-”

“You can.” Elysia lightly grabbed both of Mei’s hands. “Go. Say what you want to say to her.” The pink elf smiled. Mei knew what Elysia meant by that.

So the purple-haired girl nodded her head. “Thank you, Elysia… “

Elysia smiled. The previous Herrscher of Origin was happy to see her successor’s growth. 

In her last act of kindness to this world. Elysia granted her best friend a new strength, from the culmination of their purest wishes, a [Miracle] was created.

A [Miracle] that would ensure humanity’s survival. A power that would turn Mei’s deep longing into reality.

???, Senba Academy

Dusk soon befalls the academy. Evening orange hue basks the halls and classroom of the academy.

“Hnngh. Where am I?” A white-haired girl opened her eyes in an empty classroom. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat back up on her chair. “O-Oh right. I must’ve slept in.”

The girl saw a majestic sunset on the horizon. It is getting late, she should head home soon.

She got up from her chair and noticed that everyone had left. With no one around the school was very quiet.

“Did everyone seriously leave me alone here? Ah right Mei senpai! She should be waiting for-”

Her train of thought stopped. Something isn’t right about this.

This uniform, this familiar environment. No this doesn’t feel right. Why’s she here? Why’s she on Nagazora? She shouldn’t even be in this place. Where is everyone? How did she even get here?

“Did the-!” The girl’s thoughts were halted as soon as she felt a familiar presence. A presence that she hasn’t felt in quite a long time.

The feelings of mirth erupted from within her chest as she rushed out of the classroom. Her heart continued to beat loudly. “It’s her!” Her adrenaline rushed. She couldn’t think of anything else other than meeting that person.

The most important person in her life. “Mei Senpai!” Kiana slammed the entrance door to the rooftop of the building as she panted, catching her breath.

There she had found her friend, Raiden Mei. She was in her Nagazora uniform just like her, smiling as she gazed upon the beautiful sunset.

“Mei senpai… I-Is that really you?” Kiana reached her hand out towards her as Mei turned around and greeted her with a smile. Though Kiana felt something was off about that smile of hers.

“Finally. We meet again, Kiana-chan.” Mei stood in her spot with a satisfied smile. 

“Mei senpai…” Kiana pushed her doubts aside and smiled back. “Let’s go home.”

However, Mei shook her head. “I’m glad we can meet again for one last time. But this is where I have to say goodbye to you, Kiana-chan.” Tears of mirth fell from Raiden Mei’s cheeks as her body slowly disappeared into golden balls of light.

“ What? No. No! Don’t leave!”

“No! Wait! Mei senpai!” Kiana ran while reaching her hand out towards her friend.

“I leave everything to you. Kiana-chan. Take care of yourself and others for me. Sorry that I wasn’t able to free you from the moon.” Raiden Mei’s entire body soon disappeared before Kiana could even embrace her.

“Me-Mei senpai.” Kiana stared in denial into her arms. 

“No. No. NO! ”

The scenery around her changed back into what it once was. She was back on the moon. 

The place where her fight took place. The place where everything turned for the worse.

“Th-This can’t be happening!” Her arms started shaking as tears welled up on her cheeks. Her mind raced to try and rationalize everything. Her heart begged for it to all be a dream.

She wasn’t able to fathom what had just happened.

Kiana still had a lot of things to say to her. How her life had changed ever since they met.

She remembered the warm and gentle smile Mei always had. How patient she was towards Kiana’s childish actions. Their ups and downs.

She remembered their fight. Their eventual reunion and the peace they’ve created.

Kiana cherished every single one of those little and mundane moments together. She always wanted to tell her how important of a friend she was. How she loved her more than anything else in the world. But now she couldn’t. 

Raiden Mei was no longer part of this world. She is now only a remembrance of the past.

The Herrscher of Finality lamented over the loss of her soulmate.

“Why? Why did you do that? Mei senpai you… Why did you do that!?”

Sadness and anger built up inside of her. Her wrathful eyes stare deep into the Ruler’s very being.

“WHY!? WHY CAN’T I DO ANYTHING AT ALL!!”

Kiana gripped her weapons tightly to the point that blood started dripping out from the palms of her hands. She was furious. Furious at the Will of Honkai for taking Mei away from her but a lot of that fury was mostly directed inward towards herself.

“I’M THE STRONGEST HERRSCHER And yet… And yet… ”

Kiana bit her lip. She had all of this power and yet she couldn’t save anyone. Not even her friends. Not even Mei.

“AAAAA!!!” Kiana let out a war cry from the deepest pit of her soul. With only one goal in mind, The Herrscher of Finality charged forward. She won’t hold back anymore.

She’ll do anything to destroy the Ruler of Will. Anything.

………

……

…

Kiana, I still have a lot of important things to say to you:

I want you to know that.

You’re my most important friend, One of the most important people in my life more than anyone or anything else in the world.

You’ve changed my whole life.

You gave me hope that the world isn’t just a miserable place.

You gave me a reason to fight for this beautiful world.

This sinful wish of mine is a small price I’m willing to make.

For you and for this beautiful world you believed in. 

I will do anything.

So please, My Beloved Friend.

Live.

I leave the future in your hands now.

[Savior of Light].

Character Information:

*= Ruler of Will


** = GGZ Kiana and Mei

Chapter Text

Bronya had lived a rough life. She bore witness to the horrors of war at an early age, witnessing countless deaths with her own eyes, some even committed by her own hands. 

Whether it be allies or foes, her heart had always been indifferent to these sorts of things as she paid no attention to them. Death had always been her constant companion wherever she went. 

Yet in an instant, her world fractured, crushing her heart to pieces. Bronya watched helplessly as Mei, her dearest friend, succumbed to the Honkai right in front of her very eyes.

“MEI!!” Her anguished cry echoed across the battlefield, a desperate plea to reject such reality that befell her. Tears flooded her eyes just as her memories of Mei echoed within her mind. Memories of a much simpler time.

The laughter they shared, The anguish they went through, and the taste of her cooking were all but a fleeting remembrance now, like a cloud forever out of her reach.

If only she could reach out for her hand once more. If only things worked out differently. If only they could bid their goodbyes in a better circumstance.

Bronya gritted her teeth. Her despair gave way to fury—a primal, feral rage that consumed her soul.

The Herrscher of Truth roared. She summoned energy cannons, unleashing torrents of energy upon the battlefield, killing all the Honkai beasts within her vicinity. 

She aimed those cannons at the Ruler, firing them in rapid succession, which ultimately dealt very little damage as the Ruler easily blocked her strong yet predictable attacks.

“Captain!" A familiar voice pierced through the dark fog that clouded her mind. Blinded by her rage she ignored a few of those calls and continued her onslaught of attacks.

“Captain!” The voice became louder.

"Captain ! ” Adam shouted, firmly gripping her shoulder. Finally snapping her back to her senses as she stopped her futile attempt.

His glossy eyes spoke volumes. He understood the pain she was going through as he also lost someone important to him— his teacher, and squad leader.

“Get a hold of yourself… Captain… We still need you." He said. His voice and hand were shaky, trembling with emotion. 

Bronya replied with a resolute nod. There would be time to mourn and grieve, but not now.

Despite the fatigue that tormented their bodies, despite the anguish that weighed heavily on their hearts and souls, they couldn't allow Mei's death to be in vain even if it meant they had to fight until the bitter end.

They stood their ground ready to fight the Ruler a second time. 

However, the three of them noticed something was off. The air around them felt thicker, brimming with Honkai energy as Honkai energy continued to gather more and more into a single area.

The air crackled with Honkai energy and a mysterious colossal blade materialized on the horizon, a blade wreathed in a futuristic blue glow. 

The blade parted the dark clouds, forming a hole in the center of it as it descended.

It stabbed the Ruler, crushing it under its enormous weight. The impact of the blow reverberated throughout the earth, annihilating the Gorgon-shaped Ruler in a matter of seconds.

It was an awe-inspiring sight one could only describe as a [Miracle], reigniting the embers of hope.

From the cloud of dust and smoke their Savior—Houraiji Kyuushou emerged, slowly walking towards the three Herrschers bearing the lifeless Mei’s lifeless body in her arms.

“Mei nee-san!" Tears streaked down the Herrscher of Truth's cheeks.

Mei's skin had turned pale, marred by the ominous purplish marks that spread throughout her body.

With a heavy heart, the savior handed Mei’s body to Bronya as she continued to walk forward, toward the other ends of the battlefield. 

And thus, the Last Herrscher officially joined the war on the side of the humans. She became their symbol of hope in humanity’s darkest hour as she single-handedly turned the tide of battle in humanity’s favor.

But the war was far from over, In fact, it had only begun to escalate.

Honkai Gakuen, Several minutes before Kyuushou joined the war.

Sitting in her office, the Last Herrscher— Kyuushou looked dejected, staring at the holographic screen in front of her. The situation was getting hopeless by the minute as the war escalated.

Their Earth had been isolated, and efforts of reconnecting with the Cocoon of finality’s domain had been proven ineffective and made little progress. They could only pray and hope Finality’s Schicksal could hold on or defeat the Ruler of Will on their own.

Of course, it would be overly optimistic on their part to assume the best-case scenario would play out. Naturally, they had thought of other contingencies if the worst-case scenario came.

Because of this many had become opposed to Kyuushou’s and Vice Principal Theresa’s ideas of continuing their fruitless endeavor and they should instead, focus on bolstering their own defenses.

A part of her understood their logic, but abandoning them wasn’t the answer. How could she call herself the Savior if she forsaken those in need? It would go against everything she fought for.

If they gave the Ruler a chance to recuperate and cement their influence onto this world again, Humanity’s chances of beating it again were slim— very slim. It may even become an impossible task and humanity would again fall into another endless war with the Honkai.

“There has to be a way.” Kyuushou furrowed her brow. She refused to give up, as long as a glimmer of hope remained, they could still turn this bleak situation around.

“Just like last time,” She remembered their victory and how it was achieved. They had somehow managed to beat the Honkai by creating their own miracles by combining the hopes and dreams of trillions of people. People alive at the time and those who died in the past fought for humanity’s freedom.

O Savior of Light

A familiar voice echoed within her mind, beckoning her.

In a blink of an eye, reality warped around her, no longer was she sitting in her office, Instead, she had been cast into a realm of ethereal beauty. The sky blushed with hues of pink, and stars adorned its endless expanse, while she stood on a shallow body of water as pink sakura petals befell around her.

Speechless, she beheld the splendor surrounding her. This place felt surreal like a gorgeous dream.

Amidst the surreal scene, a familiar strain of purple caught her attention as she cast her gaze toward the feminine figure. A bittersweet smile formed on her lips as she gazed at someone who had a similar appearance to her old ally and friend.

Raiden Mei

Though the Mei she knew and the Mei in front of her shared the same name, the two threaded a different legacy.

“...Houraiji sama.” The Herrscher of Origin spoke, her voice tinged with sorrow as she bowed her head. “I’m sorry that I’m leaving our burdens to you.” With a regretful smile, Mei straightened her posture, her form beginning to fracture, light seeping through the fissures.

"Please," Mei implored as the fractures spread. "Save us all." And with that, She disintegrated into shimmering balls of light 

Gasp

Kyuushou’s eyes shot open, waking her back to reality. In her hand, a beautiful purple crystal flower bloomed— A parting gift from the Herrscher of Origin, a reminder of Mei’s plea and–

“K-Kyuushou sama! We’ve established contact!”

 –A beacon of hope.

A smile formed on Kyuushou’s face and put away the crystal flower in her pocket. “Let’s go. Sirin.” With resolve, she joined her companion, Sirin*, heading to the portal room where the forces of Houkai Gakuen would officially enter the 2nd Honkai war.

Kyuushou had braced herself for the worst, yet the reality that greeted her was far worse than she had imagined. The air was thick with despair, the very atmosphere laden with the echoes of battles past and present.

“MEI!!” The anguished cry of the Herrscher of truth was heard, a painful reminder of the agony the Will of Honkai brought to Kyuushou’s earth during the first Honkai war.

She gritted her teeth. In anger and regret, she raised her arm above her head, calling on her Herrscher power as she summoned a massive blade high above the sky. It cleaved the dark clouds above, crushing the Ruler of Will in its path, eradicating it from the face of the Earth.

Mei fell from the ruler’s grasp as the giant sword cleaved through the Ruler’s giant body like butter. Kyuushou leaped high into the air and safely caught Mei in her arms.

Her body no longer had its warmth. Her delicate skin was marred with purple lines of corruption that had spread all across. Lamentation hung heavy around Kyuushou as she walked through the dust clouds before emerging out from it.

If only I arrived sooner.

If only she could. Mei wouldn’t sacrifice her life like that. Even though she wasn’t the Mei, Kyuushou personally knew. It still hurts seeing someone just like her succumb to the Honkai’s corruption.

Please save us all. 

Savior of light.

Kyuushou suppressed her grief. Now’s not the time to mourn. The fate of their entire world lay on top of her shoulders now. The hopes and dreams of many culminate into one, pushing her forward.

She passed on the lifeless body of Mei to Bronya’s care before walking past her, offering Adam and Timido a solemn nod. “I’ll take it from here. Go and rest.” Amidst the emotional turmoil, Kyuushou forced herself to smile— a warm smile full of hope. Her infectious smile lightened up the mood as she bid farewell to the young Herrschers, assisting the other fronts with their war effort.

With the help of the Last Herrscher and reinforcements from Houkai Gakuen, Schicksal managed to repel and even push the Ruler’s army away.

At the cost of her life, The Herrscher of Origin’s gamble had worked. It gave Humanity time to rest and reorganize their forces. Above all, it granted them time to honor the valiant souls who had laid down their lives for humanity’s survival.

Schicksal current HQ, Salt Lake City

The weight of loss hung heavy in the air. The prospect of a proper funeral seemed like a luxury. Many complications arose when they were retrieving their fallen comrade’s bodies. Not all of them could be retrieved and those that could, some of them weren’t in good shape.

So to honor those brave soldiers, A mass burial was held with the names of the fallen engraved on the tombstone.

Families and friends gathered around these hallowed memorials. Amidst the crowd, Raiden Ryoma stood silently, his gaze fixed upon a single name. His daughter’s name.

“Your progress is truly remarkable, Mei.”

“Mhm~ Mr.Homu is a very good teacher Dad!” The young Mei smiled proudly after showcasing the art of Kenjutsu she had learned to her father.

“Indeed he is.” Ryoma smiled, his palm gently brushing against his daughter’s crown. His affectionate touches caused the young girl to giggle. “But you’re more impressive Mei.”

“How so?”

“Because you’ve worked hard to get to where you are. Remember, talent alone is meaningless without the dedication to hone your skills.”

“Then I’ll work harder!” Mei declared. His speech seemed to have motivated her as the ember in her eyes burned brighter than ever. Ryoma chuckled at her enthusiasm.

“Remember to rest and don’t neglect your studies.”

“Mhm~ I’ll remember that,” Mei nodded reassuringly.

“Dad!” Tears welled up in Mei's eyes. Now a Valkyrie, she dashed towards her father. Her heart was overflowing with longing and relief after being separated for a long time. Their long-awaited reunion was finally at hand as the two of them embraced each other in a tight hug.

“I’ve missed you…” Mei’s voice trembled as she nestled in her father’s embrace. Finding comfort in a familiar presence.

“I’ve missed you too… I’m glad you’re okay.” Ryoma murmured, relieved that he was able to see her again.

In the tender embrace of their reunion silence enveloped them. There were a lot of things they wanted to say to each other. But in that moment all that mattered to them was that they were together again.

"So, how was your first day as a teacher?" Ryoma inquired a swell of pride swelling within him at the sight of his daughter, now a capable and poised woman.

“It’s okay. I can’t help but feel bad for Himeko sensei and all the ruckus we’ve caused before.” Mei chuckled, taking a seat beside him as the two had their dinner together. “Teaching a student isn’t as easy as I thought.”

“I’m sure Himeko san would be proud of you.”

“I hope so,” Mei replied with a smile, her thoughts drifting to her beloved mentor. She imagined Himeko watching over them from afar “Soon I would have to nurture my own squad of Valkyries. Just like she did.”

"Just remember not to go easy on them. Discipline is key," Ryoma advised, his tone firm yet supportive.

“I know Dad.”

“And speaking of the future…” Ryoma's expression grew serious as he turned to Mei. “When are you planning to get married?”

“Da-Dad!” Mei stammered, her cheeks flushed red from the unexpected question her father posed. Ryoma couldn’t help but laugh at his daughter’s flustered reaction although there was a hint of seriousness when he asked her that.

A flood of memories engulfed him as he traced the letters with his trembling hand. A single tear left the man’s eye, tracing a path down his weathered cheek as he smiled through his grief, accepting the fact that his beloved daughter was no longer with him.

“Can’t believe you left your old man like this…”He murmured. With a heavy sigh, he rose to his feet, wiping away the tears that stained his cheeks. “Say hello to your mother for me, won’t you? Don’t worry about this old man…”

“I’m proud of you, Mei… Thank you for being my daughter.” With a bittersweet farewell, he turned to leave.

As he was about to leave, a figure caught his eye—Bronya, sobbing quietly. She clutched her arm tightly.

If she had been with her during that battle perhaps she could’ve prevented her death. 

It shouldn’t have happened.

It’s my fault that Mei nee sama died.

I was too weak.

In the end, I couldn’t protect them.

Himeko sensei

Mei Nee-san

I’m sorry, Ki—

Her thoughts were interrupted by a warm touch on her shoulder. “This isn’t your fault, Zaychik san. It’s okay, I don’t blame any of this on you.” Ryoma said. 

“You’ve done well, Zaychik san.” Ryoma's reassuring words comforted her. At that moment, amidst the pain and sorrow that envelops them, there was a glimmer of understanding.

Bronya's cries echoed in the silence, her grief pouring out like rain.

Life was often cruel, It gave and took whatever and whenever it wanted. She couldn’t see how the wound in her heart would ever heal. But life always moves on, like a flowing river it won’t stop for anyone.

It would continue forward whether she liked it or not.

Meeting Room

The atmosphere was awkward, especially for those who had to meet ‘themselves’. Both Theresa stared at one another, silently nitpicking each other’s clothing choices.

“Wait so let me get this straight, You can turn a Herrscher back into a human?” Tesla reiterated what she just heard. The information itself was quite baffling for the two AE scientists although it seemed like common knowledge for people from Honkai Gakuen.

Yssring nodded her head. “Normal humans, not a Quasi Herrscher like how you describe the Herrscher of Reason named Welt Yang.”

“That’s– How!? You’re essentially reversing the process that turned someone into a Herrscher without eroding their resistance to Honkai or killing them from genetic reshuffling!” Tesla and Einstein were equally shocked and intrigued by the revelation that a Herrscher could be reverted to a regular human without an entity like 'Finality'. 

“It’ll take a while to fully explain the intricacies of the process but on the other hand I’m also confused as to why would someone voluntarily turn themselves into a Herrscher?” Yssring asked, puzzled. Sirin quietly shared the same sentiment as them, the thought of doing so was pure madness.

“To prevent the event that happened two years ago from recurring. From that event, we learned that the future of Humanity lies in the optimization of Honkai energy instead of getting rid of it.” Einstein explained.

“What happened two years ago?” Yssring asked, intrigued.

“Aliens invaded. We called them the sky people.” Einstein answered. “Fortunately, There had been no news about them since their initial invasion.”

“Aliens huh… Come to think of it we haven’t tried to explore much of space.” The green-haired scientist pulled up her notepad, noting down space exploration as one of the future agendas she should invest her time in. 

Their individual debates quieted as the last two individuals entered the room, carrying something unusual.

“Jyahnar…Why have you brought her here?” Kyuushou pointed at the body Jyahnar was carrying.

“We’re going to reconstruct Araya’s Reborn Protocol.” Jyahnar, The Honkai beast in human form answered. “Using that android as the base.” She gestured towards the android, Prometheus, who was hovering above the ground.

The android nodded, agreeing to Jyahnar’s statement, sparking tension between her and the other humans. 

“Jyahnar! Resetting the world would spark another endless war!” Kyuushou was the first to voice her opinion.

“I agree with Kyuushou here.” The other ‘Theresa’ added. “Resetting the world? That's too radical of a proposal.”

“You guys have a tool that can do that?” Tesla looked towards Yssring, who let out a loud sigh.

“It was made in the original Era or Era Zero as we called it. Araya or the stigmata terminal was created from the corpse of the Herrscher of the End.” Yssring explained.

“What the hell!? Your people are all nutjobs!”

“I…” A memory of Arc Bishop Otto flashed in her head. “Can’t deny that.” Yet, she knew that the madness of her predecessors had played a crucial role in Houkai Gakuen's fight for freedom.

“This was originally my proposal to Jyahnar,” Prometheus spoke up, making everyone's gaze focused solely on her, shocked to hear the original idea came from Prometheus of all people.

“Before you ask any further. Let me explain.” The android said as she looked at Theresa. “Ther— Our Theresa asked me to calculate how probable our victory is.”

“I did. You said our chances were 10% before.” Theresa reiterated what Prometheus had said before to her.

“Affirmative, but I didn’t tell you the whole truth knowing you wouldn’t take the risk and instead chose to prioritize saving as many people as possible which lowers it significantly. Even with Houkai Gakuen’s aid, the probability of attaining victory wouldn’t change much since the situation had changed.”

“The Will of Honkai that we are facing currently isn’t the same as the Will of Honkai, Kyuushou, Ther– Apokalypse san, Sirin, and Yssring faced previously. It is also not the same Will of Honkai that gave birth to Jyahnar.” Prometheus informed.

The revelation shocked everyone in the room. ‘If that's the case then aren’t we fighting another Honkai altogether?’ Theresa thought to herself.

“Negative.” Prometheus answered seemingly reading Theresa’s thoughts “Our enemy is still the ‘same’ Will of Honkai. Albeit a different variant of the Will.” Prometheus clarified, though her explanation only added to the confusion.

“Let me give you an analogy. Imagine a cat as the Will of Honkai. They are the same cat we've encountered before but something within it has changed. Its appearance is the same but the genetic code that made up the cat has changed.”

“So in essence. The genus or family is still the same, but it has somehow undergone a form of evolution as a species," Einstein summarized, clarifying the android’s explanation.

Prometheus nodded “The way the Ruler attacked us was simply too different than what Kyuushou had informed us.” 

“While it still harbors the same drive to spread its influence everywhere, It wasn’t as disorganized and mindless as before, they were more organized and had planned to separate us from the very start by using ‘Alien’ Authority and an Authority gained from our universe Imaginary tree similar to how the Cocoon functions—”

“—As we speak. The Ruler has already been trying to spread influence to our solar system. Soon Earth will become another theater, and even if we somehow managed to drive them out they would’ve already spread to our solar system and potentially our local stellar neighborhood.”

“Creating another Endless War. ” 

Silence engulfed the whole room as everyone was left with their own thoughts after listening to Prometheus’s horrifying revelation. 

‘Was this why Kiana said the Cocoon had been restless these past few days? Because it knew the looming threat that the Ruler posed?’ Theresa clenched her fists.

If so, then they have to defeat it now while it's still trapped on Earth, even if it means sacrificing their present for a better and brighter future.

‘Is this really the right course of action? Ugh, I hate that I have to admit it but she’s right.’ Theresa mentally scolded herself.

Two simultaneous sighs ended the silence.

“Alright, Jyahnar guess we’ll go with your plan.” 

“Fine I guess we’re out of options, so how do we do this?”

‘Ah.’

Both Kyuushou and Theresa said it at the same time.

“I would need Yssring’s assistance on this matter. You may ask Tesla’s assistance in this matter as she’s the best engineer we currently have.” Tesla flashed a prideful grin, hearing her name mentioned in such a high regard.

“... In any case. I need you to connect me to Araya’s module. For the power output needed to recreate the protocol, Jyahnar got it covered but having another Herrscher to assist me would increase our chances of success. Preferably the Herrscher of Rebirth if possible.” Prometheus requested.

“I’ll call Seele in,” Theresa replied with a nod as she made her way out of the room.

“This might take a while…” Tesla commented as she took a closer look at Araya’s body. It looked surprisingly good for a bio-computer that lived for over eighty-two thousand years and even after more than 50 years of being deactivated, there wasn’t any indication that this bio-computer had rotted yet. 

“It depends on how much of the software is still salvageable.” Tesla stood up. “And I admit this kind of engineering is foreign to me despite having worked with divine keys in the past. So Yssring do you know the inside of this thing?” The red-haired scientist asked, her index finger pointing at the body.

“Not really but I am quite familiar with some of Era Zero’s technology. I’ll try my best.” Yssring replied.

“Now then, I believe we still have some things to discuss, Houraiji Kyuushou,” Jyahnar informed, earning Kyuushou’s attention. “Specifically about your role in this upcoming battle.”

A few more people were called into the room to be briefed about their new mission. The mission consists of two teams who would execute it and the rest would be put on defending the base. 

One team would directly attack the Ruler within the imaginary space, weakening their influence, and the other would help Prometheus execute the Reborn Protocol, killing the Ruler’s physical bodies that lie in the real world.

“I see.” After hearing the details of her mission, Fu Hua calmly nodded. To some her calmness was an enigma as the mission would essentially send the attacking team to their deaths.

“Is there really no way out?” Griseo asked, looking downcast, her concern was evident as she looked at her comrade.

“No, This is a one-way trip. ” Jyahnar's cold response cut through the room like a knife, leaving no room for a hopeful return for the participants of this mission. “ Even if they could return to the real world there wouldn’t be anything left for them to return to once the Reborn Protocol has taken its course.”

“I see.” Griseo wasn’t the only one who showed concern; many others did too.

“This is like the final battle when we fought against the Herrscher of Finality isn’t Su?” Fu Hua casts her gaze upwards, remembering that fateful day when she and the other remaining MANTISes fought the Herrscher of Finality on the moon. “That day we didn’t even know if any of us would see the light of tomorrow ever again yet we persisted.”

“Aren’t you afraid, Hua?” Griseo asked.

“I am.” Fu Hua admitted. “But turning my back wouldn’t be the right thing to do.”

“I see… Then I wish you the best Hua.” Griseo offered an encouraging smile, trying to mask her own sorrow.

“You better kick its ass old timer! Don’t make me go there and do it for you!” Senti childishly remarked while pointing her index finger at Fu Hua. Her playful demeanor lightened the tense atmosphere slightly. Hua chuckled at her remark.

“Say, do you hate me Jyahnar?” Kyuushou asked a hint of sarcasm was present within her voice. “If you do then I’m sorry for whatever I did in the past.”

“Hate you?” Jyahnar scoffed. “You’re not the only one who would sacrifice themselves in this plan, Herrscher. Out of all the humans, you and Kiana Kaslana intrigued me the most.”

“..Aww thanks for the compliment, Jyahnar!” Kyuushou replied with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Hmph well then, Kyuushou sama won’t back down either!” Her smile curled into a wide grin, infecting her positivity to others.

‘Kyuushou sama is still the same.’ Sirin thought, her admiration of her savior going unvoiced. “Mhm, I wish you good luck Kyuushou sama.” Sirin's smile was bittersweet.

“Rita…” Bianka, clad in the imposing God Killer Battlesuit, A technological marvel that Houkai Gakuen had provided, looked at her best friend. Rita’s eyes looked downcast.

“Listen, I–” 

“I know Dur– No Bianka sama.” The maid smiled, double-checking her friend’s new God’s Bane battlesuit for any faults. “It’s okay. We both know the duty of Valkyries”

“So…” Wrapping her arms around Bianka, Rita gave her the warmest hug she could muster. “Give it your all. Know that this maid will always cheer you on.”

‘I wish this maid could help you with your final mission. But it seems fate has said otherwise. Sorry Bianka sama, this is the best I could do to you as a maid and a friend.’

Bianka hugged her back. Not a word was exchanged between them. Their embrace was a silent language of their unbreakable bond. “I’ll return, I promise,” Bianka whispered. 

Though they knew it was only a lie, a promise that would be left unfulfilled. But despite knowing that Rita smiled a bittersweet smile, pulling herself back from their hug, and nodded.

“Then I will wait for you. Bianka sama.”

“[Preparing the Rebirth Module]” 

Prometheus’s monotone voice, devoid of any human inflection she once had, echoed throughout the room. Tesla and Yssring watched, their faces etched with a mix of hope and worry, praying silently that they didn’t accidentally tamper with something they shouldn’t. 

From the swirling vortex of ambient Honkai energy, a golden halo materialized above Prometheus’s head forming a crown of shimmering light that cast an ethereal glow to its surroundings.

“[Cycle Setting Complete]”

Prometheus announced. A tense silence descended upon the room, broken only by the soft hum of the portal that was being created and the rhythmic whirring that came from the Android.

“Kyuushou sama. The gateway is opened.” Sirin said, standing beside the portal that connects the physical world and the imaginary space.

Fu Hua clenched her fist, exhaling a large amount of air from her lungs. Bianka tightly gripped her weapon, turning her knuckles white. Their heartbeats grew louder as anxiety spread.

“Alright! Let’s do this.” Kyuushou exclaimed with a confident smile, replacing her worries with determination as she led the first group into the unknown. With a deep breath, all of them stepped forward. Their silhouette eventually disappeared as they ventured deeper into the Imaginary space where a part of the Ruler of Will resides.

“[Initiating Rebirth Protocol]”

A beam of golden light shot upwards, with Prometheus being at the epicenter of it all, surrounded by Jyahnar and the two Seele. “It’s time.” Jyahnar proclaimed as the two Seele nodded in affirmation.

“Everyone! To your position!” Theresa’s command cut through the air as she rallied the rest of the Valkyries, each moving systematically like a cog in a machine, working together in unison for one goal in mind, winning their gamble.

Kyuushou POV

Kyuushou and her party ventured deep into the unknown, The alien landscape stretched before them, a swirling vortex of impossible colors that defied comprehension.

However, their journey was cut short as the Ruler came to them instead, sparing them from having to search for it in this endless expanse. The ground shook as the Ruler landed in front of them, its guttural screech, laced with otherworldly malice, shattered the silence, echoing through the alien landscape.

However, the Ruler looked different than what Kyuushou had remembered previously. “Guess It has wings now?” Kyuushou commented on the Ruler’s new appearance, Its appearance was similar to the one that appeared on the moon but it seemed to have grown a pair of wings on its back. These wings looked translucent with vein-like lines cutting through their membrane resembling the wing of an insect, causing an ominous fluttering sound to emanate from the Ruler.

“Oh well, guess this saves us the trouble of finding them!” Kyuushou remarked.

Without a moment of hesitation, Fu Hua immediately sprang into action, transforming into her Active Honkai Reaction state as she took a defensive stance. 

Bianka activated the God killer Battlesuit as it emanated a purple glow and Kyuushou materialized a sword in her hand. The trio moved away from each other to divide the Ruler’s attention.

Impatiently the Ruler attacked first as it made its first move. Purple spikes made from pure Honkai energy sprouted out of the ground which the trio narrowly dodged, missing them by mere inches.

This battle wasn’t going to be easy. However, that didn’t stop the trio from going all out from the start.

Soon a large explosion of Honkai energy erupted. Decimating the empty lands nearby. Signaling the beginning of their battle for humanity’s freedom

.

Jyahnar POV

Jyahnar gazed up at the skies, her eyes tracing the familiar patterns etched in golden light, painting the clouds like a celestial canvas. 

‘How beautiful.’

She never thought that she would see this eerie yet majestic sight ever again, let alone be the one to advocate its recreation.

[“Condition has not been met— Recalibrating”]

[“Initiating Honkai Dead Spot”]

“So it starts,” Jyahnar murmured. As a Honkai beast, she should’ve been happy, ecstatic even. To finally witness the destruction of her “enemy” once again. Yet her chest felt heavy, her heart sank and Her expression, etched with sadness, betrayed the excitement she should have felt.

Perhaps these humans have changed her more than she realized.

Soon darkness began encroaching on her vision as she continued channeling her Honkai energy into the Android. Each pulse of energy drained her, and fatigue wrapped its tendrils around her consciousness.

I suppose I’ll rest for a bit

Kiana…

Do you think when I wake up

I can be just like you?

Could I be reborn as a Human in the next life?

Perhaps It is just a fleeting dream

But thank you for showing me everything

If we ever get a chance to meet again

I hope we can be friends again

Kiana

Kiana POV

On the moon, the battle between the three Herrschers and the Ruler slowly came to an end. The Ruler of Will’s defeat is certain as it had been pushed to its last legs by the three Herrscher’s combined efforts.

With the Herrscher of Finality no longer holding herself back it cemented the Ruler’s fate. In one stab Kiana dealt the final blow, putting an end to the Ruler’s tyranny on the moon.

“Mei…” Kiana gritted her teeth, her rage hadn’t subsided yet despite defeating the enemy that had taken away her friend’s life. Kiana raised her sword once more and slashed the Ruler’s corpse.

However, a chilling sense of foreboding washed over her, stopping her hand in its tracks, and sending shivers down her spine.

Her instincts screamed at her, warning of an impending danger that lingered in the air like a dark omen, and as she turned her gaze towards Earth, a sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, her eyes widening in disbelief at the ominous sight unfolding before her.

‘No… No this can’t be happening.’

A symbol appeared on the planet, spreading its eerie golden glow all over the Earth’s surface— A Honkai “dead spot” had appeared.

Her once beautiful blue planet, her home, had erupted into a sea of flames.

‘No!’

She raised her right arm, aiming it toward the Earth. She tried to open up a portal to Earth using the Authority of the Void. However, her attempt was foiled as someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand down.

“Kiana stop it." A stern female's voice warned her. But Kiana stubbornly persisted.

“Why!? Bronya, Auntie, Seele, Everyone's in trouble! Let me go!" 

"Kiana!” The woman stood in front of her, It was Ai Λ. “If you do that then their sacrifices would be in vain!" 

“No! I can st–" 

Slap–

A powerful slap reverberated through the air, causing Kiana to be knocked off her feet and fall onto the ground.

“Come to your senses! You’ve sensed it too don't you?" ‘Kiana’ berated her other self. “If you go to Earth right now you’ll just make everything worse! The Ruler of Will, the enemy our friends tried to subdue will be freed!”

She was met with silence as Kiana rubbed her stinging cheek. The haunting revelation was too much for the Herrscher of Finality. In a single day, she had lost everything to the Honkai once again. In the face of the Ruler of Will’s destruction, the Honkai she faced seemed tame in comparison.

‘Is this really what I’m capable of?’ Kiana questioned her own strength. The Finality had embraced her yet she couldn’t even do much to save her loved ones.

“Wh-What are you doing?”  

“Saving you of course!” Kiana Kaslana boldly declared, a bright smile plastered across her face. She held Mei’s arm firmly as the purple-haired girl dangled from the rooftop of Senba Academy.

“Why!? Why are you helping me to this extent? I’ve hurt you! I’ve killed people! I’m just…. A monster…” Mei’s voice cracked, her expression filled with somber. “Please just let me go Kiana chan. I don’t wish to hurt anyone else… I don’t wish to hurt you. It’d be better for both of us.”

“No! I promised you remember? That I would always be there for you. A Kaslana doesn’t break their promises no matter the circumstance!”

Those words sparked a small ember of hope in Mei’s heart, lighting the darkness that had enveloped her. 

“Kiana chan…”

“Now give me your other hand! I can’t pull you up with only this!” Kiana urged.

Slowly, Mei’s other arm reached out to her. Her hands held onto Kiana’s as the white-haired girl pulled her up.

“Thank you… Kiana chan.” Mei murmured as the two stood together on the rooftop of the academy.

“Hmph Kiana Idiotka never learns a thing.” Bronya roasted Kiana’s ability to adapt. The grey-haired Russian girl had just won another match against her, totaling their score 5-0.

“Ugh, you’re definitely cheating!” Kiana pointed her index finger at Bronya, fuming from the humiliating defeat she just experienced.

Bronya was used to this by now and shook her head, sighing at her friend’s antiques. “Bronya never understands how Kiana idiotka always comes to that conclusion when Bronya and Kiana are using the same console to play, HOMU Arena.”

“Th-That’s…” Kiana couldn’t argue with that logic and that really frustrated her. Her stubbornness just couldn’t accept that she had been humiliated 5 times. “Fine another match then!”

“If Bronya is going to play another match with Kiana then Bronya wants something in return if Bronya wins.”

“Fine! That’s a deal! In return, if I  win Bronya had to stop calling me an Idiot!”

“Challenge accepted.” Bronya nodded. “Bronya wants Kiana to buy Bronya a HOMU plush if Bronya wins.”

“Himeko sensei…” Words struggled to escape her lips. It had been so long since Kiana had last seen her sensei and yet here they were, together once more, within a recreation of St. Freya as if nothing had ever happened.

“Long time no see, Kiana.” The red-haired woman in front of her smiled. She donned a majestic red-colored Godsbane battlesuit, the Vermillion Knight. A battlesuit that her teacher wore to save her from the depths of the abyss. 

“You’ve changed a lot,” Himeko remarked, a mix of pride and sadness seeping into her words.

“...” Silence engulfs the two of them. Words struggled to escape her throat. What should Kiana say to her? A greeting? A farewell? Or perhaps an apology for how her efforts were ultimately had been for naught.

“...It must’ve been hard for you was it Kiana? I’m sorry, We couldn’t accompany you on this long journey.”

Kiana clenched her fist. “I’m sorry, Himeko sensei… I’m sorry Mei senpai, Bronya… I’m sorry. I’ve failed you all.” Tears welled up in Kiana's eyes, streaming down her cheeks as she wept, the weight of her emotions poured out.

Himeko raised her hand and gently patted Kiana’s head. “It’s okay, Kiana. You don’t have to apologize.”

“Himeko sensei is right, Kiana chan.” A familiar warmth touched her shoulder, followed by a familiar soft voice that echoed from the depths of Kiana’s memory.

“Mei senpai?” Kiana murmured, turning around. The Herrscher of Finality saw her best friends standing beside each other, smiling warmly.

“Cheer up, Idiotka. Crying doesn’t suit you.” Bronya said, her voice laced with its usual playful sarcasm as she crossed her arms.

“Bronya…”

“Come on, baby doll. Cheer up. Dad's here too, you know,” Siegfried chimed in, offering an encouraging thumbs-up.

“I don’t think that would cheer anyone up, Dad.” Bianka sighed, shaking her head at her father’s antics. “But I suppose none of us are as good as you when it comes to cheering someone up. Sorry about that Kiana.”

“Papa… Big sis Bianka.”

“Everyone’s always here for you, Kiana,” Himeko reassured her. “Our journey might have ended but we’ll always be watching you and cheering you on.”

This dream, this cruel illusion, felt achingly familiar, reminiscent of the time she fought the Herrscher of Domination. How Kiana wished time would forever stop in this twisted reality of what her world could’ve been.

A world where her friends and family were still by her side. She wondered how this world came to be. Perhaps it was because of the Ruler’s weakened influence or her connection with them. 

Who knows, in the end, it didn’t matter. This fleeting dream of hers would eventually meet its end as the waking world greeted her with its cold embrace.

So just once. Just this one time, Kiana Kaslana chose to be selfish.

“Ki-Kiana chan?” Kiana tightly wrapped her arms around Mei, pouring every bit of her repressed emotions onto Mei’s shoulder. “There there.” Mei hugged her back. 

Despite it all being just a dream, a figment of her imagination. The warmth Kiana felt, everything about it felt undeniably real.

”Mei Senpai… I understand that you needed to do what is required but…–”

“—It hurts. Seeing you leave so suddenly… It hurts, please don’t do that again.”

“Sorry,” Mei whispered.

“But how is everyone here? When everyone is…” Kiana went silent abruptly, though Mei knew what her friend wanted to say.

“I suppose it’s because The Ruler’s influence was weakened… And at the end of the day, you’re always connected to all of us ever since you’ve embraced the finality.” Mei offered her explanation. Truthfully none of them really knew the full truth of this dream.

“I see…” Kiana frowned. She felt Mei's presence fading as the light enveloped her friends and family. Her sweet dream was about to end.

“We have to go now,” Mei said, her voice was bittersweet as the two of them let go of each other. “Kiana… You’re the most important person in my life, more than anyone else in the world

You’ve changed my life and many others. So please don’t give up hope.” As Mei’s figure slowly faded. She leaned forward and tenderly kissed Kiana’s forehead.

“So my beloved friend, live. Don’t rush to meet us okay?” With a bittersweet smile, Raiden Mei left Kiana for the second time.

Kiana’s eyes slowly opened, and she found herself greeted by the glimmering stars of the waking world, Anger had left her, leaving her with a sense of serenity and a newfound resolve.

dne serthamthgin eht lla yad ehT

An otherworldly whisper rang through Kiana’s ears, chilling and cryptic. The Herrscher of Finality looked around, trying to locate the source of THEIR voice.

“Oh! You’ve finally woken up!” A cheery female voice remarked.

“Sena,” Kiana murmured, surprise evident in her voice. She hadn’t expected to see her here, on the moon.

Senadina stood before her, a girl with long orange hair and dazzling pink irises, wearing a beautiful white dress that accentuated her beauty.

“What are you doing here?” Kiana asked, confused about the Cocoon of Unwoven's sudden appearance. Shouldn’t she be on Mars?

“Hmm? Ai didn’t tell you?” Sena tilted her head. Kiana answered by shaking her head dismissively, how long was she asleep anyway?

“Mars and Venus experienced a similar invasion. Ai and I have dealt with them easily, though it’s mostly because our planet was so desolate that we didn’t mind taking a more destructive approach. Ehe.” Senadina awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. 

Kiana’s gaze shifted to Mars, and the sight confirmed Sena’s words The surface of the planet was ablaze with lava erupting from the crust in a fiery spectacle.

elims a htiw enoyreve gnisselb ,moolb lliW

The whisper echoed again. This time the voice sounds a little louder than before.

“Did you hear that?” Kiana pointed it out.

“Hear what?” Sena titled her head, puzzled.

devargne ev'uoy htaO fo sgniW ehT

“That. You didn’t hear that?” Kiana insisted, frustration creeping in as Sena shook her head again.

“Are you alright?” Sena asked, her concern was evident through her voice and expression. Kiana herself questioned whether or not she was going insane but her intuition told her otherwise.

Kiana sensed something about the whisper—it was a message meant for her. Someone or something was trying to tell her something, though the cryptic nature of the message wasn’t helping.

She shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it, Kiana changed the subject. “I’m fine… Where’s my other self and the other Mei?” She asked noticing their lack of presence.

“They… Couldn’t stay here for long. They said something about them not being mortal in the first place because of what they had to do 50 years ago during the Honkai war that took place on their earth—” 

“—But they haven’t given up on Earth yet and they said they were going to help the humans fight back against the Ruler by altering some ‘rules’ about the nature of the Honkai itself. Giving humans some ‘Authority’ through the brand of a stigmata.” Sena explained. 

“While they do that Ai and I were making a seal to prevent the Will of Honkai from leaving. Unfortunately, it has rooted itself to Earth. The Will of Honkai must show its face once more to eradicate it completely.”

“I see.” Kiana cast her gaze back to her home planet. “Guess we still have work to do.” Kiana declared. The Herrscher of Finality vowed to do whatever she could to prevent the Will of Honkai from spreading any further.

tsac neeb dah cigam ehT

emoc lliw yad taht

“ytirohtuA” fo redloheb O

The end is a beginning, a new story is about to be written.

??? POV

Somewhere in the deep corners of space, far from any civilization. A woman with short grey hair cast her gaze outside of her window towards the vast emptiness of space.

“THEY have returned.” The woman murmured.

“My script never lies.” A voice replied, causing the woman to turn. Only for her to find a sleek black cat perching on the table nearby.

“Elio.” The woman addressed the cat. “Aren’t you concerned THEY would hinder your plans?”

“THEY would give me a little trouble when that time comes. But there’s nothing neither you nor I could do about it even if we were to try. The Astral Express hasn’t connected our worlds to theirs.” The cat replied. “It isn’t our role to intervene, Eileen.”

“...The second war of Propagation will be reignited if we let this situation be, Elio. Does your script really say nothing?” Eileen raised an eyebrow. She was getting ticked off by the cat's carefree attitude.

“Only three possibilities. Some are more likely to happen than the other.” The black cat lifted one of its paws as if making a gesture. “Fate isn’t easily changed, Eileen.”

The woman let out a frustrated sigh as her palm covered her forehead. “And you’re just letting it happen?”

“Naturally all we could possibly do was observe how things would play out. But…” The cat suddenly stopped his sentence midway and walked over to two sets of drawings on the table. “We can send one of them back home. Unfortunately, our intervention stops there. The outcome of that story will rest on the inhabitants.” His paw rests over the two pictures of two men.

“We have three options. Two of which involve choosing either one of these men back and the other is choosing neither and hoping the situation will solve itself. So what will you choose?” The cat inquired.

“Can’t we send both?” Eileen asked, curious. Surely doubling their forces would increase the chances of success, no?

“No, that would unfortunately mess up my plans with the receptacle and it would ultimately doom us all if that were to happen.”

Eileen stared blankly at the pictures in front of her, taking her time as she weighed her options. “Then I choose him.” The woman pointed at the right picture.

“I see.” It was just as Elio expected from the start. “Very well. Then I shall send him back.” The cat then jumped off the table, walking away before disappearing into the darkness.

Reference images for notes:

Houraiji Kyuusyou

Sirin (GGZ)

Jyahnar

Yssring

Araya

Theresa (GGZ)

Chapter Text

If…

If God really exists in this world…

Will he answer my prayers?

Even if he doesn’t 

I hope that in another world

I can meet them again

…

I miss you all.

A young girl stood on the outskirts of a recently destroyed town, standing in the open in the middle of a calm winter. Small fires scattered around the rubble.

This town used to be her home. It was a humble small town with a lively and thriving community. A home to many that was now reduced to mere memories and ashes.

The young girl’s long dark hair fluttered along with the wind. Her face and hair looked clean and well-kept despite the fate of the town in front of her. It was as if she was a foreign entity that wasn’t supposed to be there.

‘This time. This time for sure!’ With a determined gaze, the young girl entered her former hometown. Alone with no one but herself she strides forward with confidence. There was only one goal in her mind, to defeat the monster in the middle of her town.

“This time the Savior will definitely win! It is my god-given right to defeat all the world’s evil!” The young girl declared with such confidence. If anyone heard her they would immediately think that she was rambling nonsense, not that she would care.

No matter what, she would prove to everyone that she could save the world; to do that, she would have to defeat this enemy.

The young dark-haired girl would soon enough meet her adversary, a humanoid creature that was a little taller than the young girl with a childish figure and a pale white exterior as their skin. It had long light gray hair that covered its entire back. It was surprising that a monster with the size of a child could muster this level of destruction. But their enemy the Honkai was always unpredictable.

“I, Houraiji Kyuusyou—??” The girl stopped mid-sentence. She was about to declare her name to her opponent, as usual, to get its attention, but something caught her eye.

The creature was already staring at her with her heterochromic eyes but no murderous intent was coming from its stare. Instead, it looked almost… depressed? Why would a monster be depressed?

The young girl had fought this monster many times before but this was the first time she had seen one that looked like this.

‘Why? What’s it telling me? Is this a trick to lower my guard down?’ The young girl wondered. She decided to take a defensive stance like usual. Still, the monster didn’t seem interested in attacking her this time, which frustrated her.

She couldn’t figure out why. After all these years of experiencing this same dream every month, why did it suddenly change? Perhaps it’s telling her that the monster just gave up on fighting her because it was always a one-sided battle? It can’t be that simple can it?

“HAAA!” The young girl decided to take the initiative and charged first. A bold and stupid move if things were the same as before but now?

She could finally land her punch. However, that punch from her right arm only made the monster stagger slightly even though it landed directly on its chest. She had put every ounce of kinetic energy that her body could produce yet this is the result!? Even after four years of training her body was this really the best she could do? Or was it because this was a dream that all of the training done in the real world didn’t matter here?

So in the end, she could only rely on her memories to dodge its attacks, huh?

Something else then caught Kyuusyou’s attention. A viscous red liquid was dripping onto the back of Kyuusyou’s right hand. 

‘Blood!?’ Kyuusyou looked up and saw tears of blood streaming down the monster’s face, silently crying.

She could see the monster moving its lips yet no sound came out of its mouth. “Run.” Its lips read, followed by a more complex movement the girl was far too familiar with,” Kyuusyou.” Her name. It was warning her. However, when Kyuusyou finally realized it, she was already too late.

The smell of iron filled her nostrils followed by a sharp unbearable pain in her abdomen. Kyuusyou wanted to scream but something clogged her throat. She could taste the iron on her tongue as blood trailed down the corners of her lips.

It hurts

Kyuusyou’s gaze lowered as her expression became paler. With just one hand the monster had punched a hole through her stomach. 

Kyuusyou couldn’t even see it coming as it happened too quickly for her eyes to catch it, let alone for her body to react.

Her vision became blurry and a loud ringing noise filled her ears. Her body, drained of energy, fell backward, gazing at the grey winter sky. Everything was fading but even so, the pain was still vivid.

As everything faded into darkness, Kyuusyou heard a blood-curdling scream, a scream of pure agony and sadness. She didn’t know where it had come from or who was screaming, but her mind only thought about one person, someone whom she cherished the most.

Shinki nee-san… 

REBORN ERA

XX Y 2009

“AHHH!!” Kyuusyou jolted awake with a scream, her body drenched in a cold sweat. Her hand flew to her stomach instinctively, only to find that she was perfectly fine, physically, at least. It was just a dream after all.

Her breathing was labored as Kyuusyou tried to get her thoughts back together. "The pain from her dream lingered, a ghostly echo in her body. In that dream, she would appear in the body of her eight-year-old self even though she’s a twelve-year-old teenage girl now. The dream was always like that. She had already concluded that what she was experiencing was far from normal.

“No-note to self. Don’t stay too close to-” Kyuusyou mumbled, interrupted by the door slamming open. Her mother and sister stood there, worry etched on their faces.

“We heard a scream. Are you okay?” Her older sister asked, hand on the door.

Kyuusyou’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I-I’m fine.” She stammered as she was unprepared when her family members decided to check up on her. Guess she did scream pretty loudly. “No thief at all! Yeah! I just… Had a bad dream.” Kyuusyou looked away awkwardly.

Her sister and mother breathed out a sigh of relief. This happened so many times by now that they knew exactly what Kyuusyou had meant. Kyuusyou also didn’t bother to make up any excuses anymore since this dream has always haunted her since that faithful day when she was only eight years old.

No one could explain why it occurred. Some doctors theorized it was because of some repressed trauma, a recreation of her past, but that explanation didn’t seem right as Kyuusyou had already moved on. In the end, her family somewhat gave up on trying to find an answer so long as it didn’t affect her psychologically.

“Haa, so it’s that dream again.” Her sister covered her face with her palm as her mother checked up on her daughter, ensuring she didn’t catch a fever on her first day of school.

“Are you really okay Kyuusyou?” Her mother asked the question again.

“I’m fine, mom.” Kyuusyou hopped off her bed. “See!” Energetically the young girl put her hand on her hips and flashed a confident grin. 

“This is only a small obstacle in Kyuusyou–sama’s journey to saving the world!” She declared, striking a pose. 

Her mother giggled as her palm gently patted her daughter’s crown. 

“Now go take a shower and change into your uniform. Today is going to be your first day in the Akademie, remember? Don’t forget to bring your packed things. ” Her mother’s hand then slides down onto Kyuusyou’s shoulder.

“Mom, I know,” Kyuusyou replied. “Then I’ll be taking a shower first!” She immediately rushed out of her room, running straight to the bathroom.  

“Idiot, You’re the second. Maybe next time don’t sleep too late in the night programming that forsaken game!” Her sister sighed. However, her sister’s plea would probably be ignored as usual. Besides, her sister didn’t understand how important it was for her to finish her project.

The legacy of the Savior must be known! And what better way to spread the message than through a video game? However, more time was still needed to make the game perfect. Perhaps in a few years, she would finally be able to unleash her creation onto the internet but until then she must be patient and hone her skills.

The sun had yet to rise over the horizon yet it already brought its usual liveliness. “Oi Kyuusyou. Hurry up, breakfast is ready!” Her sister called from outside her room, knocking on her door.

“In a minute!” Kyuusyou replied from inside her room, followed by the muffled sounds of wardrobe doors creaking and drawers sliding open and shut.

“You said that a while ago.”

“Shinki, it hasn’t been a minute!” Kyuusyou protested.

“You’re going to be a Valkyrie, you should be more disciplined than this.” Shinki sighed, covering her face with her palm. “Did you forget where you put your hair tie again?”

“Eh!? H-How did you know?”

“Check under your pillow,” Shinki replied deadpan.

“Really? Ah, found it! Thanks, Shinki! Wait, how did you know it was there? Did you put it there?”

“Of course not! I never messed with your stuff. You’re the one who always puts it there for some reason.” 

“Because it’s a priceless gift! So it must be kept safe!”

Soon, the door opened and Kyuusyou stepped out of her room, looking neat in the Akademie’s uniform. 

The Akademie's uniform combined elegance with practicality, featuring a royal purple-colored blazer. Beneath the blazer, she wore a crisp white blouse with a vibrant yellow bow at the collar. The white skirt was pleated, royal purple with white accents, falling just above the knee. Her outfit was completed with knee-high black socks and polished black shoes.

Her long hair flowed freely around her shoulders, reaching her waist. On the right side, she tied it into a half-side ponytail with a distinctive cross-shaped hair tie. Shinki wore a similar hair tie but opted for a half-back ponytail instead.

As the two sisters descended the stairs the aroma of freshly cooked fish wafted up to greet them, making their stomachs growl.

Their mother, Houraiji Yukimo, stood by the dining table, putting down the last sets of plates. “What took you girls so long?” Yukimo asked as she greeted her daughters with a warm smile.

“Kyuusyou forgot where she put her hair tie again,” Shinki replied nonchalantly. She slid into her usual seat, sitting beside her younger sister while their mother took the opposite one.

“But I managed to find it!” Kyuusyou said as she scooped up some rice onto her plate.

“Kyuusyou. Since you two will be living in a dorm, I would suggest you start putting it somewhere you’d remember. Your sister might not be living in the same room as you.” Yukimo said.

“I- I will, Mom.”

The family ate in comfortable silence. Soon the plates emptied and they tidied up the dining area before the girls headed to the front door and put on their shoes, where pairs of large backpacks and suitcases waited, packed and ready.

Before they left, their mother pulled her daughters into a hug. “Be safe and take care of yourselves and each other out there, okay?” Yukimo’s eyes glistened with tears as she gently ruffled her daughters' hair.

“We will, Mom.” The two said in unison as they hugged their mother back.

“Don't cause trouble out there okay?" Yukimo said

“Okay, mom. I'll make sure Kyuusyou stays in line" Shinki replied.

“Hey!" Kyuusyou said.

“We’ll try to visit every holiday mom.” Shinki continued ignoring her sister's annoyed glare. 

"Tell me when you want to visit, okay? Don't worry about me. I'll always wait for you girls here.”

After a short while the three of them pulled back. Her eyes reddened as she watched her daughter head towards the door, ready to step out into the world beyond the safe haven of their home.

A cold breeze washed over them as Kyuusyou and Shinki stepped outside. In front of their house, they saw a man in his mid-30s, dressed in an elegant black suit, leaning casually against the side of a sleek SUV, a faint smile playing on his lips as he watched them approach.

“Ah, you must be the driver from Babylon.” Yukimo said, her voice steady despite the lingering emotion.

The man nodded politely, moving with practiced efficiency as he opened the trunk and helped the girls load their luggage. “Is this everything, Mrs Yukimo?” he asked, his tone professional yet warm.

“Yes…” Yukimo nodded. “Please take care of them.” Yukimo requested.

“I will, Ma’am.” The man bowed.

This is it. The moment that Kyuusyou-sama had been waiting for. It finally came! No longer shall the savior hide in the shadows. From this point onwards, the Savior shall enter the war against evil!

Her partner(Shinki) and herself, waved their goodbyes to their mother as the car took them where they needed to go. St. Freya, one of the branches of the Zusammenbruch Akademie. The place where Valkyries or Einherjar, the protectors of humanity, are raised and trained.

To enter one must be chosen by the gods(through genetics)! Naturally, the savior would be qualified. But why didn’t she enter beforehand you might ask? Well, these humans previously deemed her unfit because she was simply too young. Too YOUNG! How foolish of them to deny the savior the chance to master her overwhelming magical prowess from such a young age!

In fact, they should’ve taught her beforehand! Curse these foul elites! But no matter, the Savior had already taken some precautions. First! She found herself a master (a local Martial arts teacher) who taught her sacred heavenly arts (regular hand-to-hand combat). Second! She studied arcana (Academics) and Third! She always accepted the God of verification’s monthly challenges (that strange dream) Although she hasn’t defeated the monster yet But! Someday the Savior would overcome this wall! – 

“Kyuusyou… Please shut up,” Shinki interrupted, her voice cutting through Kyuusyou’s animated monologue. “Why are you narrating everything? Also, you left out so many details. Many of the things you said weren’t even right!”

“Hmph, how could my partner doubt Kyuusyou-sama’s inner monologue…” Kyuusyou gasped. “Wait! How did you know what my thoughts were? Are you secretly a psychic?”

“You were saying everything out loud, Kyuusyou,” Shinki replied, staring at her sister in disbelief. How immersed in her fantasy world was she to not realize she was speaking out loud?

“I-I see... Note to self keep calm before narrating about Kyuusyou-sama’s marvelous journey.” Kyuusyou murmured.

Shinki lets out a heavy sigh. ‘Will she be okay?’ She wondered, gazing out the window. Could Kyuusyou endure the Akademie’s harsher environment? They were enrolling in a military school, after all.

Valkyries and Einherjar were idolized as heroes who were protecting humanity from the Honkai Tyranids . These monsters of Honkai have been threatening the planet since the dawn of human civilization.

There were numerous cases where Valkyries and Einherjar trainees decided to forfeit from the program as those teenagers couldn’t bear the burden of being humanity’s strongest warriors and Shinki worried that her sister might fall under all the pressure.

“Maybe I’m worrying over nothing. Who knows maybe this girl is just toying with me with her Chuunibyou acts. At the very least it’s not getting any worse.” Shinki murmured. Yeah, perhaps she should settle with that fact for now. Still, she knew she’d have to keep an eye on her sister in case anything happened.

‘Hopefully, she gets along with her squadmates at least.’

The journey to St. Freya was rather uneventful. Kyuusyou was excited about her first day in St.Freya but a sense of uneasiness clung onto her. She fixed her gaze on the passing scenery, watching people hurry along the sidewalk, each absorbed in their own world as they went on with their day.

She wondered what caused her to feel anxious. Was it the awkward moment with her sister that morning? Unlikely. Maybe it was because she missed her mother? No, that wasn’t it either. Perhaps it was because of the strange dream that she had this morning. Maybe but why would that bother her so much?

Perhaps the dream was telling her something. Something important. But what exactly was it trying to tell her? What did she miss?

The buildings passed like a blur, as did the people below them, but the sight of a familiar-looking girl with long, bleached light gray hair caught her eye. Her eyes were transfixed, as the mismatched colors of the girl’s eyes reminded her of someone. For a fleeting moment, their eyes met. As quickly as she appeared, the girl vanished into the crowd, nowhere to be seen no matter how hard Kyuusyou tried to look for her.

Just who was she? Had she met her before? Kyuusyou couldn’t remember. Her presence felt oddly comforting. But why?

Kyuusyou shook her head, Dismissing the odd sensation that occurred even if it frustrated her. Perhaps she could find some information about that girl later. Who knows? Maybe that girl was some important NPC later in Kyuusyou’s Savior’s Quest. If so, then they’d surely meet again someday.

Soon the car came to a halt as they arrived at the front gates of the St.Freya academy. Kyuusyou stepped out of the car, her heart pounding with anticipation. She took a moment to admire the Academy's impressive architecture, a harmonious blend of Germanic and Japanese elements that stood proudly against the backdrop of the morning sky.

The main building's facade was adorned with intricate carvings and ornate eaves, reminiscent of traditional Japanese temples. At the same time, the towering spires and arched windows brought a touch of European grandeur. Modern glass and steel accents seamlessly integrated into the historical design, reflecting the academy's commitment to tradition and innovation.

In the distance, Kyuusyou could hear the hum of conversations and the occasional laughter of students mingling in the courtyard. The scent of cherry blossoms, from the trees lining the path, mingled with the crisp, fresh air.

“Ah, are you two new students?” a woman in a suit asked as Kyuusyou and Shinki walked through the front gate, tapping at the tablet in her hand.

“Hah! We-!” Kyuusyou started, but Shinki quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Yes, we are,” Shinki answered, giving the staff member a polite smile. “We enrolled in the Valkyrie program.” She clarified, ignoring the staff’s bemused look and Kyuusyou’s muffled protests.

With a few taps on her tablet, the staff’s expression softened and nodded.  “For new trainees please head that way.” she gestured toward a path. “Another staff member will escort you to the other trainees' waiting room.”

“Thank you very much.” Shinki bowed and started walking in the indicated direction while dragging her still-protesting sister along by her arm.

With the guidance of the staff, it didn’t take them long to find the room they were supposed to go to. Without hesitation, the two entered the room.

They discovered they weren’t the first to arrive as several other trainees were already waiting in the room. Compared to the regular students that had just enrolled in St.Freya there didn’t seem to be that many Valkyrie trainees. Though that was to be expected, not everyone fulfilled the necessary requirements to be accepted as one. Most people simply didn’t have the luxury of having their lineage blessed with the ability to adapt to Honkai energy.

“Hi~ Are you two also new trainees?” A lively girl with pink hair approached them as soon as she noticed them entering the room. A sweet, genuine smile lit up her face, radiating her excitement to see some new faces.

“Hmph. We’re not just trainees! The gods have blessed this mortal body and chose her to be humanity’s savior! And she is my partner in crime!” Kyuusyou declared confidently with her arms crossed

Shinki sighed “Sor-” Yet despite Kyuusyou’s weird introduction the pink-haired girl giggled, catching them both off guard. She somehow found Kyuusyou’s action amusing, rather than strange like most people did

“I see. I see~” The pink-haired girl said, playing along with Kyuusyou’s antics. “Then can I also be your partner in crime?”

“Oh~” Kyuusyou grinned and extended her hand. Finally! She had found another person who understood her goals and saw the bigger picture! “Of course you can! I, Houraiji Kyuusyou, humbly accept your request!”

“Hehe. Elysia Schariac.” Elysia shook Kyuusyou’s hand gently. “You can call me, Ely~.”

‘Am I dreaming?’ On the side, Shinki was dumbfounded, unable to comprehend the event that was unfolding right in front of her eyes.

“And this idiot partner of mine.” Kyuusyou said, slapping her sister’s shoulder. “Her name is Houraiji Shinki. She’s my slightly older sister. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been enlightened by the gods yet but that doesn’t matter. She helped the Savior quite a lot in the past, Perhaps in my past life too.” She introduced her sister, who was still in denial that all of this was actually happening.

“Mhm~ Pleased to meet you~” Elysia giggled as she took Shinki’s hand and gently shook it.

“A-Ah yeah.” Shinki awkwardly replied.

Kyuusyou and Elysia continued their conversation while waiting for the principal’s announcement. Shinki never thought that Kyuusyou would find someone who accepted her this easily, not in St. Freya of all places, especially another Valkyrie trainee.

‘But to think it’s a Schariac of all people.’ Shinki thought to herself as she watched Kyuusyou interact with her new friend.

In Babylon, four major families held immense influence. The Shariac family was one of them, famed for having the most blessed bloodline as most of its members have very high Honkai adaptability and resistance, traits that made them invaluable as Valkyries or Einherjars.

Then there’s her family, the Houraji family. The one who founded Houkai Gakuen, the organization that eventually evolved into Babylon. However, the family had more or less fallen into obscurity as they became inactive in Babylon’s affairs for generations and decided to integrate themselves well into regular society while the other families maintained their prominence.

Then there was the Apokalypse family. The family had been leading Babylon as overseers for decades, guiding its policies and direction.

Finally, there’s the Kaslana family. Who stood out for its legacy of heroism, having produced more heroes than any other family, their valor, and heroic deeds were remembered throughout history. Together, these families formed the cornerstone of Babylon's power and prestige.

As time passed, more trainees began to arrive, and like a pair of highly energetic extroverts, Kyuusyou and Elysia greeted all of them without missing a single one. And then a new girl arrived, catching Kyuusyou’s attention.

A girl with long braided hair that gleamed like silver under the moonlight, entered the room. Her striking blue eyes scanned the room until they settled on Kyuusyou. Both girl’s eyes widened in shock at their unexpected encounter.

“You!” The two girls exclaimed simultaneously, pointing at each other.

“Wait, wait, you know me!?” The silver-haired girl asked.

“The savior should be the one that asked that question!” Kyuusyou retorted.

“Ugh, she talks like her too.” The silver-haired girl murmured, covering her face with her palm.

“Hey! I heard that.” Kyuusyou huffed. ”Didn’t we meet on the road? You definitely stared right into the Savior’s eyes back then.”

The silver-haired girl raised her eyebrows, looking very confused. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“Wha-What but your hair color is the same!” Kyuusyou insisted.

“Could be one of my cousins or the Apokalypse kid. I got here with my mom anyway.” The silver-haired girl replied.

“So it wasn’t you.”Kyuusyou murmured, making another mental note. She might have had the wrong idea, considering the resemblance. However, that wasn’t her only concern right now. “Hey! You still haven’t answered my question about how you knew about me!”

“You wouldn’t believe it anyway– Actually… Considering you’ve been pretty similar to that girl. You might genuinely believe what I’ll say.” The silver-haired girl said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“I’ll take that as a complement to the Savior’s comprehension of this mortal plane.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.” The silver-haired girl said deadpan, sighing. “We met in a dream. You even sounded and acted like her too.”

“Hoo~ I see, so you’re destined to be the Savior’s third partner! We must’ve met in our past lives.” Kyuusyou nodded.

“Please stop saying that.” The silver-haired girl pinched the bridge of her nose, annoyed that she had to deal with this nonsense again in the waking world. “Anyway, What’s your name?”

“This savior’s name is Houraiji Kyuusyou.” Kyuusyou answered.

“Kiana Kaslana.” Kiana replied, still in disbelief. “Just call me Kiana.”

“Oh~ The daughter of the hero Siegfried Kaslana and the saintess, Cecilia Schariac! Nice to meet you.” Kyuusyou casually spoke as the two shook hands. “A strong ally for the Savior.”

“A-Ah yeah.” Kiana stammered.

‘A Kaslana too!? What’s next? An Apokalypse too?’ Shinki shook her head in disbelief. Meeting the daughter of the legendary S-rank Valkyrie herself, and Kyuusyou speaking so casually to her as if they both knew each other, was too much to process. On top of that, Kiana even dreamed of Kyuusyou! Just what kind of fantasy world was she living in!? 

Perhaps Kyuusyou’s chuunibyou ramblings weren’t some made-up nonsense after all. No, it would be better if she didn’t think too much of this. 

“Hee~ I didn’t know you dream of pretty girls Kiana.” Elysia teased. “Why don’t you have dreams about me~?” The pink-haired girl pouted.

“Th-This is different! It’s not like I can control my dreams, you know.” Kiana shook her head as Elysia giggled.

“You two knew each other?” Shinki asked.

“Of course~ We’re childhood besties!” Elysia wrapped her arms around Kiana.

“She’s technically my cousin. Even though we’re not blood-related.” Kiana explained.

Kyuusyou and Shinki nodded. They decided not to ask any further despite their burning curiosity.

New students, from middle to high schoolers, gathered in St. Freya’s large auditorium, the air buzzing with excitement and anticipation. Mundane chatter echoed throughout the hall until a commanding voice rang out, 

“Attention, new students of St. Freya!” With that one sentence, the room fell into a deafening silence. The students garnered their attention on the woman who was standing on the podium. That woman was none other than Cecilia Schariac, the esteemed principal of St. Freya Akademie. Her long hair, silver and radiant as moonlight, cascaded down her back.

She wore an elegant white dress that was adorned with golden embroidery, tracing an elegant pattern that emphasized her slender figure. The skirt of her gown reached her ankles, parting in the front to reveal white stockings with golden motifs. Then a pair of white heels completed her look, complementing her outfit.

“First and foremost. I’d like to congratulate all of the new students, Valkyries, and Einherjars trainees that have gathered here, for you to be accepted here means that you’ve shown potential. However potential alone will not be enough to carry you through the hardship of life. Don’t be complacent. Just because you got here doesn’t mean your future will be easy.”

“My first day in my offline class, and the principal is already grilling us. Ugh, why can’t my brother take my place instead?” A girl with long, wavy blonde hair murmured. 

“Ehehe I understand your feelings.” A girl with short royal blue hair awkwardly replied.

“From this point on. You’ll face a lot of hardships that will take a toll on you both physically and mentally. For Valkyries and Einherjar, you will come to discover that this world might not as be as bright as it seems but–”

“What’s her problem? Does she want us here or not?” A boy with messy grey hair commented, crossing his arms.

“Well, she is technically correct. and that is the best kind of correct .”A boy with crimson red hair replied, silently muttering the latter. “If you don’t have the resolve or mental capacity you shouldn’t have applied as an Einherjar in the first place. Being famous wouldn’t help you survive out there.”

“......Tsk, Fair point.”

“That doesn’t mean you should be discouraged. Amongst you all, I’m sure each of you has your own reason to come here. Use that as fuel for your resolve and let us all fight for all that’s beautiful in the world!”

“Fight for all that’s beautiful…” Kiana murmured, deja vu washed over her. Where had she heard that line before?

“That would be all that I have to say. Ah one last thing, I will be conducting a test for the team selection so for the new trainees please come with me.” Cecilia said before walking down the podium.

All the trainees stood up from their seat and followed Cecilia out of the auditorium.

“Bronya Zaychick, Elysia Schariac, Karin Mered, Kalpas Ramirez, Kiana Kaslana, Kyuusyou Houraiji, Li Sushang, Leon Reichart, Ninti Cioara, Seele Vollerei, Shinki Houraiji, Yae Sakura.” Cecilia called out all of the trainees’ names. “All of you will be divided into three teams and each team will have four members.” Cecilia explained to the trainees as they gathered in the Simulated Arena. Each of them was holding their preferred weapon.

“So Mom, why are we here?" Kiana asked, casting a suspicious gaze on her mother. When her brother first became a trainee, he never told her any stories about a special test for the team selection.

"To ensure a fair distribution for the teams~." Cecilia replied with a smile. 

"But don't worry~ the test is very simple…" All the students tensed up. “Survive."

And without any other warning. In the blink of an eye, The principal disappeared from their line of sight as she launched her first strike.

Reference Images:


Cecilia

The Akademie Uniform (This is Karin)
All taken from the Houkai Gakuen Wiki

Chapter Text

“Survive.” Cecilia’s commanding voice echoed throughout the arena. In the blink of an eye, Cecilia vanished from their view, darting towards Kiana at an inhuman speed as she launched her first strike. “Watch out!” A scream pierced the air, and before Kiana could react to her mother’s attack, someone had already thrown themselves in front of her, it was none other than Houraiji Kyuusyou.

Kyuusyou tried to block the incoming blow, but the force behind Cecilia’s punch was much more powerful than she had originally anticipated. The impact knocked the self-proclaimed savior back, sending her crashing into Kiana, and hurtling them into the wall, knocking the light out of both of them.

The other students watched it all happen. Unable to process what they had just witnessed. They froze in their place as if Cecilia cast a spell on them. No one had expected the headmaster to make her move that quickly or even for her to do that, leaving them confused.

Silence enveloped the room until a yell broke the headmaster’s spell, grounding the students to reality. Houraiji Shinki made the first counter-offensive, swinging her weapon, a scythe at Cecilia only to be easily blocked by one hand by the S-Rank headmaster.

Seeing Shinki’s act gave a certain redhead an idea as he observed the situation from the side.“Sakura-san! Ramirez-san! Help Houraiji-san!”  Leon Reichart, the redhead, shouted. The messy grey-haired boy, Kalpas Ramirez, looked at him, confused as to why he was suddenly called. While the fox-eared pink-haired [Hybrid], Yae Sakura, grabbed the hilt of her katana, looking hesitant about whether or not she could land a hit on Cecilia.

“Don’t waste the opportunity–” However, before Leon could finish his sentence, Shinki was thrown back onto the arena wall. “Dammit, there goes that plan,” Leon muttered quietly, clicking his tongue.

Cecilia looked around the room, choosing her next target. 

She could’ve easily wiped the floor with all of the new students if she were taking it seriously but instead, she took her time and played around. She wanted to gauge the new students’ reactions and see what they would do if they encountered something unexpected.

Would they freeze? Would they run away? Or would they– 

“Oh~”

—Fight back? 

“Looks like someone is sneaky~” Cecilia stepped to her right, narrowly avoiding an attack from her blind spot. Her sudden movement surprised her attacker, a pale blonde-haired girl with a side ponytail, Ninti Cioara, who tried to stab her with her daggers. 

Ninti had overcommitted, now exposed, She could only brace for impact from Cecilia’s counterattack.

BANG–

A shot was fired. The rubber bullet struck Cecilia’s shoulder, throwing her off balance, and creating an opportunity for Ninti to back away unscathed. 

“That was too close, Thanks Bronya!” Ninti said as she slid backward. She complimented the marksman, Bronya Zaychik, the Grey-haired girl with a drill-like ponytail.

“Good shot, Zaychik-san.” Leon complimented the drill-ponytail girl.

“You can call me Bronya. No need to be too formal.” Bronya said while positioning the red dot on her rifle’s crosshair on the headmaster’s figure.

“Right. Sorry.” Leon replied.

‘Seems like they’re starting to understand the situation.’ Cecilia thought as she observed the new trainees. ‘This new generation of Valkyries has potential.’ Her lips curled into a smile at the exciting prospect. She was looking forward to seeing their growth. Perhaps she should turn up the difficulty of this test a little.

Order had left the simulated arena and chaos reigned supreme. Even though it was essentially a twelve versus one, the number of students didn’t give the students any tactical advantage. The supposed strength in numbers meant little when they couldn’t coordinate.

“Sakura-san you’re too close!” Karin Mered, A girl with long slightly tousled blonde hair, complained. “You’ll get hit by my greatsword if you keep sticking next to me.”

“M-my apologies.” Yae Sakura said, quickly stepping away, giving Karin some space to swing her greatsword more freely.

“Oi, Sushang, stop hesitating, dammit!” Kalpas complained, blocking another punch from Cecilia as he slid backward from the force generated by the headmaster’s fist.

Sushang, the short brown-haired girl with a golden ribbon tied to her hair, huffed in frustration. “Your brawling technique is too wild! It’s hard to keep up!” She snapped and swung her sword, making Cecilia step back, dodging her strike with ease.

Bronya kept her eyes locked through her sniper scope, ‘Everyone keeps blocking my line of sight.’ She thought, struggling to maintain Cecilia in her scope’s crosshairs in the disarray.

“Aww~ Everything’s a complete mess.” Elysia pouted, faux annoyed. “But at least the headmaster is preoccupied with them. Kiana, Kyuusyou when are you two going to wake up?” The short-pink-haired girl cast a glance at her unconscious friends behind her.

“Well… Leave everything to this pretty girl alright~?” She giggled. “I will be your guardian for the day~.”

“Ugh.” Shinki groaned in pain, clutching her back.

“Please bear with it for a while, Houraiji san.” Seele Vollerei, a girl with short dark hair and dark blue underlight, said trying to soothe her friend’s pain. Her hands glowed a faint light blue as she channeled Honkai energy into Shinki’s sore muscles, the faint hum of power barely audible over the chaos.

“Even my previous teacher didn’t hit me this hard.” Shinki winced.

‘No one had ever fought with each other before. So I guess this is expected.’ Leon thought, observing the battle from the sideline as the situation quickly got out of hand. The students will eventually lose if they keep fighting like this. 

Cecilia would probably end the test when she had seen enough but they couldn’t exactly hope for that. What if she were disappointed with their performance? Leon wouldn’t dare to think of the consequences they’d face if that were to happen.

“Ugh.” A groan pulled him out of his thoughts.

‘Ah, That’s it!’ Leon quickly moved his feet, running to the person who knew their opponent the most, Kiana Kaslana, The headmaster’s daughter.

“Kaslana-san are you awake?” Leon asked as he kneeled and helped her sit down.

“Barely.” Kiana groaned, putting her palm on her forehead. “My head is still spinning.”

“Hah!” Without any warning. Kyuusyou, the dark-haired girl who was lying down beside Kiana. Suddenly pointed her index finger at the ceiling as her eyes shot open. “With the blessing of the God of Verification. I, Houraiji Kyuusyou, wouldn't be put down that easily!” She declared loudly.

Leon and Kiana both gave Kyuusyou a weird look while Elysia giggled. “Please don’t encourage her, Ely.” Kiana sighed.

“Right. Where was I?” Leon shook his head. “Kaslana-”

“Kiana. Just call me Kiana.” Kiana interrupted him. She doesn’t like it when people are too formal with her. She had enough of that already. Since they’ll be classmates they should just get comfortable with each other.

“K-Kiana-san. I have an idea but we need your cooperation. Do you trust me?” Leon asked.

After waking up. Is this seriously the first thing she had to deal with? “Haa” Kiana let out a sigh. “Do I have a choice?”

“Technically yes?” Leon replied.

“Don’t answer that.” Kiana shook her head as she crossed her arms. “What do you want me to do?” She hoped that Leon wasn’t planning something dumb.

“Tell us what you know about Cecilia, her fighting style, strategies, anything. You’ve sparred with her before right?” Leon asked. If he could relay this information, they might be able to fight her better.

“I did… But Mom was always holding back. Even when my brother and I fought her together, We hadn't won a spar.” That was understandable. Leon didn’t expect Kiana ever to win against her mother anyway. After all, Cecilia was the strongest Babylon’s Valkyrie of today.

“That’s fine. But you must’ve noticed or remembered some of Cecilia’s habits during those sparring sessions, no?” Leon said as he glanced back to where the battle took place. Thankfully Cecilia was still preoccupied with the other students. “Give a simple summary before the Headmaster notices us.”

“...Hmm let me think." Kiana scoured her brain for the answer, telling them everything she learned from her previous sparring.

“Mom's main weapon is a lance. I think that's public knowledge. But she can do hand-to-hand combat fairly well. She even taught me the Kaslana gun kata. Well Dad taught her that and she passed it on to me and my brother—”

“—Another thing to note is that both of her arms are strong. You could say she’s ambidextrous but she is naturally right-handed so her right arm is her dominant arm. It's what she thrusts her lance with, and throws a mean punch with it too. Her left isn't as strong, but if you get hit by it, you'll still feel it. So try not to tank any of her attacks unless you know that you can, like that boy over there.” Kiana said while pointing at the messy grey-haired boy, whom she forgets the name of.

“Anyway she isn't taking the fight seriously yet. Well, she never did with me but that's probably because of a different reason.” Kiana added. Leon could guess why that’s the case. No parent wouldn’t want to see their child suffer or be demotivated. That’s probably why Cecilia always held back.

“That's the gist of it." Kiana finished. “I can go into more detail about how my mom fights but… That’ll be a bit complicated to explain.” She awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. 

‘That was more than what I expected.’ Leon thought. He was a bit surprised Kiana was willing to cooperate this much with them. Well, guess she probably wanted to get a good score or impress her mother. If so that would be understandable why she was willing to share this much.

“Hmm." After hearing Kiana's explanation, Leon turned his head around in the direction where the fighting had happened. 

His golden eyes shimmered as the world around him slowed down to 75% of its original speed as he observed Cecilia's every move down to the littlest detail. 

Each feint, each step, each glance. Leon made a mental note of it all as the headmaster fended off the students, somewhat, coordinated onslaught.

“Ugh.” Leon groaned, closing his eyes as his hand rubbed his temple. His brain felt like it was about to burst out of his head. It was a consequence of using his power. But the pain was worth it.

“Kiana. Support me. I’ll be the one drawing Cecilia’s aggro while you seize every opening she makes.” Leon said, looking back at his small group.

Kiana raised one of her eyebrows, looking at him with uncertainty. “Okay…”  Though she reluctantly agreed anyway since it was a reasonable plan at least and no one else seemed to have any better idea.

“Elysia-san. Support us with your arrows like what Bronya did.” Leon looked at the pink-haired girl.

“Mhm~ You got it, boss!” Elysia replied in a playful tone.

“O-Oi, why are you leaving me, The savior out?” Kyuusyou asked, looking a little dejected.

“Umm.” Unsure what to say, Leon glanced back and forth between Kiana and Elysia. Kiana sighed and shook her head while Elysia just giggled. Their reaction only further confused the boy.

Frankly speaking, he didn’t think about Kyuusyou when he made that plan as adding another person would add an unpredictable variable. None of them have really worked with each other after all and just reading her files didn’t give him a clear picture of what Kyuusyou could do in a real combat scenario.

“Don’t underestimate this Savior!.” The self-proclaimed Savior grinned. “The God of verification had bestowed her with countless trials! I had memorized many patterns of attacks. Have some faith in your future Savior.”

Her way of speaking certainly didn’t help in convincing him. None of what she was saying made any sense. Like, What even is the God of verification? And attack patterns, like a boss in video games? But a video game boss attack pattern doesn’t matter right now.

Leon shook his head, sighing. Still, he couldn’t just ignore this. If he left her be, Kyuusyou might have attacked Cecilia on her own, ignoring their plan.

“Fine. Your role is the same as Kiana’s then.” Leon reluctantly gave her a role. “Just try not to get in each other’s way.” He said. Before making his move.

Leon sprinted across the battlefield, running past his other classmates. In a nick of time, Leon pulled Kalpas by his arm, making his friend narrowly avoid a punch straight to the face, although his intervention threw Kalpas off balance as he rag-dolled on the floor.

“Tsk.” Kalpas angrily groaned as he regained his footing. “Be a little more gentle next time. Damnit!” The boy said, slowly standing back up.

“Ramirez-san, go back and recuperate for a bit.” Leon briefly glanced at his friend. “Let me handle this.”

“Haah? Oi, you’re the temporary leader! I’ll be the tank-”

“Trust me.” Leon kept his gaze on his opponent, not faltering.

“Tsk. Fine.”Kalpas clicked his tongue. “Just don’t get hit.” He retreated while keeping his eyes on the headmaster.

“Sushang-san, Yae-” Before he could finish, Cecilia threw a right jab. In one swift motion, Leon rotated his upper body and took a small step to his right, narrowly dodging her fist by an inch. “-San. Cioara-san, Mered-san. All of you move back. Let Kiana, Kyuusyou and I handle this.” Leon said as he narrowly avoided Cecilia’s sweeping attack.

“But–” The other girls wanted to protest. However, Kalpas silenced them. “Just let him handle it. That guy always seems like he has a plan.” They all glanced at each other before backing away to observe the fight from a safer distance, collectively wondering what sort of plan Leon had in mind.  

‘He’s not going to try and take the headmaster down is he?’ They thought. It was an absurd idea to think about but none decided to speak out their thoughts.

Similar to Kalpas, Leon didn’t have a weapon or rather he didn’t bring his out. The reason why he wasn’t wielding his weapon wasn’t because of overconfidence or arrogance. But it was simply because he didn’t need one to fulfill his current role.

Unlike Kalpas he didn’t have the physical strength to block Cecilia’s attack. But he doesn’t need to block her attack, only dodge it.

And that’s what the scion of Reichart did, albeit barely as some attacks did manage to graze him. Had he not observed the fight from the backlines and heard Kiana’s explanation. He wouldn’t dare to try and pull this stunt.

His eyes shimmered a dim golden glow as Leon stepped to the left, right, and backward, ducking and weaving in between Cecilia’s jabs and kicks. Everything around him moved 85% slower than it should’ve been, making him able to match the Headmaster’s tempo and creating an opening that–

BANG

–Kiana could exploit. 

The scion of Kaslana took her shot, and the rubber bullet hit the Headmaster's left side.

Without giving Cecilia time to recover, Kyuusyou launched her attack. She swung her short sword and attacked from the same side Kiana took her shot.

BANG !

Another shot hit the Headmaster's right shoulder. It was Bronya's.

‘Nice follow-up, Bronya.’ Leon thought, grinning from ear to ear. He stepped back as Kiana and Kyuusyou rushed forward.

The roles were now reversed with the students being the one on the offensive. However there was one thing that Leon– No, everyone didn't expect.

That was Kiana's and Kyuusyou's coordination and how flawless it was. It was as if the two of them had fought alongside one another for a long time.

Whenever Kyuusyou attacks, Kiana would follow up by shooting or throwing punches and kicks. If Kyuusyou made a mistake Kiana would cover for her ally, allowing her to recover.

This wasn't something that Leon had in mind but it was a welcome change. He was supposed to help them by diverting Cecilia’s attention and having her attack him instead but seeing their flawless coordination he would just be getting in their way.

“Alright." Cecilia smiled pridefully. With a swift, graceful movement, she grabbed both of Kiana’s and Kyuusyou’s wrists in one fluid motion, immediately halting their offensive. The suddenness of her action left the other students watching stunned in silence, including Kiana and Kyuusyou.

Just a moment prior, they had poured all their energy into that next attack. Kiana’s fist crackled with the raw power of her abnormally strong physical strength, a move that could easily send most opponents reeling. On the other side, Kyuusyou’s hand glowed a faint purple glow as she imbued Honkai energy into her body and weapon, amplifying the attack power of her next attack.

Both attacks were coming at Cecilia with terrifying speed, But in an instant, Cecilia’s grip stopped them cold. The force behind their strikes dissipated as if the energy had been snatched away by some unseen force.

The sheer ease with which Cecilia had countered them was nothing short of staggering. It wasn’t just that she had halted their offense—it was the way she did it, with an effortless grace that made it seem as though their powerful attacks were nothing more than a passing breeze.

‘Is she going to get serious this time?’ Leon thought. In hindsight, he should’ve planned this scenario out as well. He had heard the stories about her strength, but seeing it firsthand was something else entirely. He felt in awe seeing her overwhelming strength with his own eyes but at the same time, it was also intimidating.

The silence that followed was deafening as the student’s minds raced to comprehend what had just happened.

“The test is over!" Cecilia declared, her voice soft but authoritative, slicing through the stunned silence. The abruptness of her words left the students baffled as they exchanged glances, still processing the situation. 

“It was unfortunate that all of you had a class to attend.” She later reasoned. “Things were getting interesting.” Her lips curled up into a smile as if she was satisfied with the result of the smile. She genuinely looked like she enjoyed it as well.

Cecilia let go of Kiana's and Kyuusyou's wrists, tension slowly fading. Kiana flexed her wrist, still feeling the phantom grip of her mother’s overwhelming strength. While Kyuusyou winced, flexing her hand to relieve some of the pain.

“Now gather around. I’ll be announcing the new squadrons all of you will be a part of,” Cecilia ordered. 

The students hesitated, still wary, unsure if they should trust her words. After all, this was the same headmaster who had launched an unannounced test without so much as a warning. Hell, she didn’t even tell her own daughter and proceeded to knock her out first!

Seeing their wariness, Cecilia chuckled softly. “Don't worry,” she reassured them with a teasing smile, “there won't be any more sneak attacks~."

The students slowly gathered around. However, they kept a noticeable distance between themselves and the headmaster as no one seemed to trust her completely, including Kiana herself, despite Cecilia’s reassuring words. The students had expected the headmaster to pull another twist just to mess with them.

The soft hiss of sliding doors broke the silence as three new figures entered the simulated arena. The students immediately tensed, some shooting nervous glances at one another, unsure if this was another unexpected turn of events. Though some students, notably those who were a part of Schicksal’s three big families, Including Leon, seemed to have recognized some of the new faces.

A young woman with long, flowing light blue hair tied to a ponytail, cascading past her shoulders, sighed audibly. “Cecilia-sama,” she respectfully called out the headmaster’s name, Her voice tinged with a hint of disapproval.  “Was all of this truly necessary?” she asked as her eyes narrowed down slightly.

Cecilia simply smiled as she turned around to meet the gaze of the woman and the other two people who accompanied her. “Necessary?” She repeated in a playful tone. “Of course, ~ every test had a reason, you know.”

The young woman shook her head. “Cecilia-sama. Just because you’re the headmaster doesn’t mean you can suddenly change the schedule like that.” She sighed.

Cecilia chuckled. “It’s fine, Kira. I simply wanted to test their potential.” The headmaster reasoned but Shigure Kira, A former member of Cecilia’s old snow wolf squad, squinted her eyes. She looked like she wasn’t buying it but decided not to say anything about it.

“Mom, Can I ask something?” Kiana raised her hand. “Why’s Kevin here?” She asked, pointing at the young man with short white hair that was slightly spiked at the top. The man waved at her and smiled.

“Your brother is here as a Valk– I mean Einherjar instructor, Kiana,” Cecilia answered.

Hearing that the other students, excluding Elysia, were stunned. 

‘That’s her brother!?’ 

They all took short glances between Kiana and Kevin, noting the similarities between the two of them. So the rumors were true that Cecilia had two children. Now that they think about it, Kiana did mention Cecilia sparred with her and her brother before.

“Hehe, Now you don’t have to miss me since we’ll be seeing each other a lot from now on,” Kevin said with a playful smile, teasing his younger sister.

“Sh-Shut up!” Kiana huffed. “I don’t miss you that much.” She mumbled the last part under her breath, her ears reddening in embarrassment. She quickly looked away, refusing to meet her brother’s eyes—or anyone else’s for that matter.

Kevin chuckled softly, clearly enjoying her reaction. “Sure, sure,” he teased, his grin widening.

“Alright~” Cecilia’s voice cut through the tension, drawing everyone’s attention back to the front. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Pay attention when I call out your name since I won’t be repeating them. If you want to change squadrons, you can, but the process is complicated, and the other party has to agree. I won’t bore you with the details—you can look that up online if you’re curious.” Cecilia explained. 

“Now for Squadron Four, The team members will be Kalpas Ramirez, Li Sushang, Leon Reichart, and Yae Sakura,” Cecilia called out as the four of them walked to the front of the group. “Your leader and instructor will be… Kevin Kaslana.”

“Alright! Let’s do our best and be the best trainee squadron in St. Freya.” Kevin grinned.

“Y-Yes sir!” Leon and the other squad members said in unison.

“Ugh, drop the formalities.” Kevin frowned a bit. “Only use it during a mission to sound professional. Other than that you can call me Kevin.”

The four of them nodded their heads. “Got it. Kevin-senpai.” Leon replied.

“Senpai huh.” Kevin chuckled and smirked. “I can get used to that.”

“Now for Squadron Five.” Cecilia continued, drawing the attention back to her. “The team members will be Elysia Schariac, Kiana Kaslana, Houraiji Shinki, and Houraiji Kyuusyou.”

The room fell into a brief silence. ‘Wouldn’t this make things a bit one-sided?’ Leon thought. After all, it was an honor and a golden opportunity to be in a squad with at least one of the major families as it often led them to fame or at least an easier time during training as the famed family members were usually pretty competent.

The other students seemed to have the same thoughts as they murmured amongst each other. Cecilia, unfazed by the side discussions, pressed on. “Your leader and instructor will be… Shigure Kira.”

Kira gave a warm smile. “Let’s do our best, everyone.” She said in a gentler tone compared to before, when she addressed her concerns to Cecilia.

“Oooh! This is definitely fitting for a Savior’s party!” Kyuusyou declared, smiling proudly, her enthusiasm unchecked. “As expected, Cecilia-sama knew of this chosen one’s potential. Well, then I, Houraiji Kyuusyou, welcome all of you to the Savior’s starlight party!” 

Her squadmates and pretty much everyone there stared at Kyuusyou in disbelief. ‘Is that allowed? I thought instructors or the leader were supposed to give their squadron a name, not the trainees.’ Leon thought.

Elysia giggled, amused by Kyuusyou’s antics.  Shinki’s face flushed with embarrassment and shook her head. Kira gave a soft, awkward chuckle, unsure how to respond to that. Kiana, on the other hand, groaned audibly. “Did you seriously just name our squad already?” she asked, exasperated.

Kyuusyou grinned proudly. “Yep! Isn’t it cool!?”

“No that’s not– Ugh. Fine.” Kiana relented. She sighed, arguing with her would just cause another headache. At least the name wasn’t cringey. However, Leon couldn’t say the same if Kyuusyou’s other teammates agreed to that sentiment or not.

Cecilia chuckled. “Lastly, Squadron Six the team members will be, Bronya Zaychik, Ninti Cioara, Seele Vollerei, and Karin Mered. Your leader and Instructor will be Elsa Lopez.”

As the name Elsa Lopez was announced. A young woman with medium-length, bright red hair stepped forward, her confident posture and the gleam in her eye instantly catching their attention.

“Nice to meet you all,” Elsa greeted them with a bright smile.

The students exchanged brief glances before Seele took a step forward, bowing slightly. “Li-Likewise, ma'am,” she murmured, her voice soft, but with an edge of nervousness. Bronya and the others followed suit, each giving their own variations of polite greetings.

“Please take care of us,” Seele added, her hands fidgeting slightly behind her back, though her face remained composed.

Elsa’s smile deepened. “Of course. We’ll work hard together.”

There was a brief pause as Cecilia let the students settle back into their places. “That’s all for the new squadrons,” She said  “Congratulations everyone.” Cecilia smiled proudly. 

A moment passed before she continued. ”So are there any complaints?” She asked.

The students all looked at each other, unsure if anyone would speak up. A few quiet whispers passed between them but ultimately no one was willing to speak up as every student collectively shook their heads.

“I see,” Cecilia nodded, seeming pleased with their response. “Ah right, All of you will be in class 1-C and you won’t be receiving any missions until a couple of months into your training,” Cecilia said, smiling warmly. “I wish all of you good luck." 

“1-C,” Kiana quietly read the room label near the doorway. Finally, they found their class after a couple of minutes of walking around campus. Sometimes she wished there was a faster way of traversing around campus other than walking around.

As soon as they entered class, Kiana noticed Elysia’s gaze immediately land on a boy with short pale white hair and striking red eyes. He sat quietly at one of the second-row seats, alone for the moment, though Leon soon claimed the seat beside him. The rest of Squadron 6 followed suit, chatting quietly as they took their places.

“Ohh, Kai!!” Elysia’s voice cut through the ambient noise of the classroom, calling out her childhood friend. She waved enthusiastically, drawing attention from the nearby students.

Kairos, startled by the sudden greeting, looked up, his red eyes meeting Elysia’s. “O-oh Morning Ellie.” The boy smiled, greeting her back by waving his hand.

“Seems like we’re going to be classmates again~.” Elysia chirped, smiling cheerfully. “Let’s do our best, kay~.”

“Ye-yeah.” Kairos awkwardly replied as he could feel the curious gazes of the other students around him. They whispered among themselves, their expressions ranging from curious to mildly jealous as they wondered how Kairos managed to attract such a lively and pretty girl like Elysia.

“That’s the Apokalypse Kid I was talking about. His name is Kairos Apocalypse. The second and youngest child of the previous overseer, Ulrich Apokalypse. ” Kiana pointed at Kairos Apokalypse, The boy Elysia just greeted. “Was he the one you saw before?”

“Hmm.” Kyuusyou squinted her eyes, observing every little detail about the boy. “Does he have shapeshifting abilities?” She asked with a serious expression.

“Hah!?” Baffled by her squadmate's question. Kiana raised her eyebrows. “Wha– How the heck did you come to that conclusion!?” She voiced her thoughts out loud while taking short glances at Shinki who shrugged her shoulders, not knowing how Kyuusyou managed to get to that absurd conclusion.

“The one I saw had long white hair. Maybe it was more pale?” Kyuusyou rubbed her chin as she tried to remember. “I remember, she looked like a girl.”

“Why are you obsessed with a random stranger anyway?” Kiana asked as the four of them walked to find some unoccupied seats, unfortunately, there weren’t many good spots left since they all arrived late. They sat right beside each other, sitting in the middle front row seats.

“Because she’s definitely important!” Kyuusyou argued. “And our eyes met so she must’ve been sent to help this savior in some way. Perhaps she’s an important story NPC that will help the savior in the future.” 

None of the points she said made any sense. Kiana began to wonder how this chuuni was even accepted into St. Freya. Just having good combat sense wasn’t the only qualification after all.

“Maybe it’s Luna Nee-san~” Elysia chimed in.

“Ely. You know Luna Nee-san is busy in Babylon’s headquarters right now. As the temporary Overseer, I don’t think she has time to visit St.Freya or Soukai.”

“That’s true.” Elysia hummed. 

Their conversation continued as Kyuusyou continued to yap about her wild theories, regarding the mysterious person and her importance. Kiana leaned back in her chair, trying to shake off whatever nonsense the chuuni was spouting.

She couldn’t keep up with whatever mental gymnastics Kyuusyou was doing and it appeared that even her sister, Shinki couldn’t either. Elysia was the only one attentively listening to everything though Kiana doubts the Schariac actually understood any of it and is simply playing along with whatever Kyuusyou came up with.

Suddenly, the door at the front of the classroom slid open, and a wave of silence spread through the room. Conversations trailed off, and the students shifted in their seats, straightening up as they turned their attention toward the front.

The teacher walked in with calm, measured steps. She was a tall young woman in her late 20s. She had short, wavy red hair. Her outfit consists of a tight, military-inspired ensemble. She wears a short red jacket with rolled-up sleeves and a white button-up shirt underneath.

Standing right beside her desk. “Good morning,” The teacher began. “My name is Murata Himeko and I will be your homeroom teacher and history teacher.” Himeko introduced herself.

As Kiana saw the red-haired woman, a storm of emotions stirred within her. It wetted her cheeks with tears. 

“Kiana? What's wrong?" Their homeroom teacher, Murata Himeko, asked. She was concerned, seeing her student suddenly crying out of the blue.

“I- It's nothing. Sensei" Kiana replied as she wiped away the tears that were staining her cheeks.

“If you say so. But feel free to raise your hand if you're feeling uncomfortable." Himeko said, glancing down at the tablet in her hand.

‘Why did I do that?’ Kiana didn’t know what had gotten into her. It had felt like a dam of emotions suddenly burst outwards, flooding her mind. She couldn’t understand the reason why her very soul was crying out for that person.

As… Your teacher, I need to correct your mistakes… 

Kiana, Be brave and push on. 

End this story… Let those kids have…  

A peaceful time…  The way you want…  Kiana

That is……

My final lesson.

My final wish.

Vestiges of the unknown echoed in her head, overlapping with one another. None of this made much sense to her. Just why? Why was she feeling this? This feeling of… Longing? To strangers of all people. She couldn’t understand it.

First, it was when she first met Bianka, her “adoptive” sister at six years old. Technically she’s not officially her sister but her mother often took care of her since she was an orphan.

The second was when she met with Kevin’s girlfriend, Raiden Mai. Then the third was Mai’s younger sister, Raiden Mei. They met when the Raiden family came to visit Soukai during the time when Kevin was still a student at St. Freya.

The fourth was when her family visited the Apokalypse family. It was when she first met big sister Luna Apokalypse.

The fifth and sixth all happened at the same time. Today that is. That was when she first saw Kyuusyou and Bronya, albeit less so than when she saw the seventh person, her classroom teacher, Murata Himeko.

She could understand it if it only happened when she met big sis Luna since they had a common ancestry. Luna was a descendant of the famous Kallen Kaslana or rather Kallen Apokalypse while Kiana was a descendant of one of Kallen’s cousins. Maybe it was just a rare thing that happened with the Kaslanas.

But she couldn’t explain why it happened to the six other people who seemingly had no familial connection with her whatsoever. She wondered if there would still be more people out there that would invoke the same reaction she was feeling right now.

Kiana exhaled, calming herself down. She waved her hand, dismissing her fellow squadmates’ concerns.

"As students of the Honkai Akademie," Himeko began, her voice cutting through Kiana’s thoughts, "You are expected to dedicate yourselves to studying and later, to serving humanity."

“Whether it be combating the Honkai Tyranid threat, improving the lives of the common folk, or advancing our understanding of the world, each of you will have a role to play.”

She paused, letting her words sink in before resuming.

"Then let me ask you this. What is Honkai?” Himeko asked. 

‘What is “Honkai”?’ Kiana repeated the question in her mind as a ripple of murmurs passed through the class with students discussing the answer with each other. Himeko’s gaze swept across them, waiting patiently.

“If anyone has an answer in mind. Raise your hand.” She added. It was a question Kiana had never asked herself. She hadn’t once asked herself what exactly is the Honkai.

After a while. A boy raised his hand. “The enemy of humanity."

Then another student followed quickly, raising her hand. “It is a calamity, Sensei.”

Himeko gave them a small nod. They are both typical answers though it seemed, their answers didn’t fully satisfy her.

Then Kairos Apokalypse raised his hand. “They're a natural phenomenon. Himeko Sensei."

Himeko seemed amused by Kairos’s answer. "And what leads you to that conclusion?” She asked.

“We-well." Kairos stammered. “I read it once in a book. It was unknown when but the Honkai has now coexisted with the planet’s biosphere.” He explained. "It wasn't always like that but when the Avatar of Finality embraced Earth. It became… possible."

Himeko smiled, satisfied with the answer Kairos gave. “Well done. You've done your research well." She complimented. “It is just as Kairos had said.” She continued with the lecture as she turned her gaze to the large screen behind her as it showed a presentation.

“Just like any other species. Honkai has created a symbiosis with our planet’s ecosystem. They fell into two types of categories. One that fell into mimicry and mutualism, forming a symbiotic relationship with the environment—and with humanity itself. Though there's debate over whether these relationships benefit both sides equally, We call them the [Children of Finality] one such example of them is the Honkai Sapiens .”

‘Honkai Sapiens.’ Kiana had heard of them. It said that they were Honkai beings that had taken human form. But other than that she never had met one herself. ‘I wonder if they’re impressive.’

“Honkai Sapiens are rare compared to other species. Now, don’t confuse them with [Hybrids] , like our classmate Yae Sakura. Hybrids are ordinary humans like us but possess traits from animals—typically feline or canine ears. In rare cases, they could also possess a tail.” Himeko continued.

Kiana noticed some of the students had their eyes subconsciously darting toward Yae Sakura, the only Hybrid in the room. She didn’t seem to mind the attention, her expression calm and indifferent as she took notes.

Li Sushang then raised her hand. “Sensei, How can we tell the difference between normal humans and Honkai Sapiens?” She inquired. 

“A good question.” Himeko turned to the screen as it showed an image of two different people, two different humans from the looks of it. Kiana assumed one of them was a Honkai sapien like Himeko had mentioned before. But she couldn’t tell which one was which. Both of them just looked like regular people to her. It was like trying to spot a Valkyrie or Einherjar wearing normal clothes in the middle of a crowd. 

“Both of them are Honkai Sapien,” Himeko revealed while pointing at the image with a laser pointer. 

‘Both are?’  Kiana’s eyes widened. However, it seemed like she wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

“Appearance wise they are practically human. But they can be easily identifiable via a blood test. Naturally, they have a higher tolerance to Honkai energy than a regular human. On average they have a Honkai adaptability of an A rank to S rank Valkyrie.” Himeko continued.

‘If that’s the case, I wonder if one of them can defeat, Mom.’ Kiana thought, imagining her mother fighting a hypothetical Honkai sapien. ‘Nah, Unless she’s fighting a full-powered Herrscher there’s no way mom could lose.’ 

“I’m sure you’ve heard stories about the Magnificent Inventor before, correct?” Himeko turned her attention back to the students. Kiana noticed that some of them had their Eyes sparkling with admiration.

“Ohh, I think I’ve heard it before when playing Kallen’s Fantasy.”

“H-Huh!? That game was inspired by a real historical documentary of Otto the Magnificent! ” 

Kiana had heard of that documentary before. It was a popular story about one of Babylon’s greatest overseers. The Magnificient Inventor, a title that was bestowed to Otto Apokalypse for bringing in another golden age of science. Though, Kiana wasn’t too familiar with his story.

“Oh! I know Sensei!” Elysia’s hand shot up excitedly, her face beaming. “It is about Auntie Jyahnar isn’t it?”

“It is… Huh? Auntie!?” Himeko blinked in disbelief, caught off guard by what Elysia called the legendary figure.

“Mhm~ Haven’t seen her again though.” Elysia hummed as she looked up, smiling obliviously. The room fell into an awkward silence.

“Wait, you knew her?” Himeko asked. How could she personally know a legend that existed 500 years ago to have said that? No no, better yet how did Elysia know Jyahnar was a Honkai Sapien? Was it ever mentioned?

“Yep!” Elysia chirped, her tone completely casual. “She found me and took care of me for a while before I was adopted by the Schariac family, you know~.”

‘You never mentioned that. Ever.’ Kiana stared at her pink-haired friend in disbelief, resisting the urge to facepalm.

“An-Anyway.” Himeko coughed.  “Let’s get back to the lesson, shall we?”

A few students still cast confused glances toward Elysia, but the class’s attention shifted as Himeko continued, “Now, about the other type. The parasitic kind—the ones the public labels as calamities, the [Tyranids] .”

Himeko paused before continuing. “Unlike the Children of Finality, who emerged from the Cocoon of Finality, the Tyranids are born from what John Neumann once described as the [Commander of Propagation] .”

“These Tyranids are the embodiment of Honkai’s destructive nature, and they have always been a force of devastation, appearing throughout history. The reason why they’re called a parasite is because to propagate and evolve, they need animals or human biomass.”

“That’s why our duty here is crucial.” Himeko turned to her students. “To defeat them, we need to understand them—how they think, how they grow, and most importantly, how to stop them.”

Not even students of this era were spared from the challenges of attending school, especially the Valkyrie and Einherjar in training. The teachers were doing everything they could to drill in their knowledge and experience to the new generation.

But was all of this worth it? Kairos thought so. “I think it was fun, Luna.” He spoke in standardized German, smiling thoughtfully. “But my other classmates might not have the same opinion.” He chuckled.

In front of him was a holographic projection of his elder sister, Luna. She was a young woman with long, flowing white hair, cascading past her shoulders. “As an alumni of the Honkai Akademie. I can attest to that.” She chuckled. “The combat training was tiring~. You’re lucky, Kai. Not fair~” She faux pout.

Kairos chuckled. “But how are you, Luna?”

“It’s a bit more stressful than I imagined.” Luna sighed. “I wonder how Dad managed to deal with all of this and still had some spare time.”

“We-Well your situation is different than father, Luna... But any luck?”

His sister shook her head much to Kairos’s dismay. “I’m sorry. I’ve done what I could but I can’t spare any more resources. The council said it isn’t a high priority to find him right now since the previous overseer had left two candidates.”

“I see…” Kairos frowned. It’s been over two years since their father had disappeared abruptly. What’s worse was that he didn’t leave any clues behind. Many people speculate he was kidnapped but it was weird why no one would try to ask for ransom or something else. Many also thought that he was simply assassinated but Kairos held on hope that he’s still alive somewhere.

“Father… I wonder where you are right now.” Kairos murmured, glancing to his right as he saw the beautiful full moon soaring high up in the sky, illuminating the sky and the surrounding area with its ethereal beauty.

Chapter Text

Honkai corruption is a life-threatening condition caused by overexposure to Honkai energy, with a mortality rate approaching 99% in severe cases. This condition mirrors the effects of acute radiation syndrome (ARS) or radiation poisoning, wherein the body’s cellular processes—particularly cell division and proliferation—are severely compromised. This degradation leads to widespread tissue damage, ultimately resulting in the death of the organism. However, unlike ARS, resistance to Honkai energy can be acquired, offering a potential avenue for protection.

Honkai energy, a mysterious yet potent source of power, poses a significant threat to biological life forms. Exposure beyond a critical threshold results in what is known as Honkai corruption. Similar to the effects of radiation, Honkai corruption inhibits the body's ability to repair and regenerate by causing cellular dysfunction. Without proper cellular division, tissues deteriorate rapidly, leading to fatal outcomes in nearly all cases of acute exposure.

Recent advancements have shed light on the possibility of developing resistance to Honkai energy. A study led by Dr. Nathara Mobius Leavtruth at Babylon Laboratories focused on individuals possessing stigmata—those who have shown innate resistance to Honkai energy—and trained Valkyries, who regularly engage with Honkai in combat. By investigating their genetic and physiological adaptations, Dr. Leavtruth pioneered a vaccine-like intervention that induces negligible resistance to Honkai energy in ordinary humans.

The development of this "vaccine" involved extensive study of the cellular responses of stigmata-bearers and Honkai-resistant subjects. By isolating the biochemical pathways that enable these individuals to resist Honkai energy, researchers synthesized a treatment capable of stimulating similar protective mechanisms in regular subjects. Though not a complete cure, the treatment has dramatically reduced the mortality rate associated with mild Honkai exposure by 80%, particularly among Babylon personnel and civilians.

While a permanent solution to Honkai corruption remains elusive, this vaccine has marked a significant advancement in the mitigation of Honkai-induced fatalities. By providing civilians and military personnel with a method to resist low to moderate Honkai exposure, humanity is one step closer to overcoming the adverse effects of Honkai energy. Future research will focus on enhancing this resistance and pursuing a full cure or even developing full immunity over this phenomenon.

—Raiden Mai, “Honkai Corruption: A Cellular Breakdown Induced by Honkai Energy Exposure”, Journal of Bio-Imaginary Science, 2008

Sitting on her bed, a young girl gazed out at the serene night sky. The full moon hung high, casting a gentle silver light across the world, and her lips curled into a peaceful smile, admiring the beauty of the moonlight. Her long blonde hair, tied into a loose ponytail, draped over her shoulder, shimmering faintly in the dim glow.

Her skin, pale as if drained of life, was streaked with ominous purple lines, crawling like veins from her fingertips all the way up to the base of her neck, an indication of how severe her Honkai corruption was. Yet despite that, the girl still sported a hopeful smile.

“I wonder how Kiana is doing," The blonde girl murmured to no one but herself. After all, she was alone in this room. It didn't feel right for her to ask a nurse to accompany her all the time since they had other patients to attend to and a life of their own.

But that was fine. She wasn’t always alone anyway. During some nights she sometimes felt that another presence was nearby, accompanying her. Perhaps it was a sign that God was watching over her or a spirit of some kind or perhaps it was the Honkai itself. 

Who knows?

All she knew was that whoever they were, they didn’t mean her any harm. She didn’t know what their motives were but she was thankful for their company even if she never saw what they looked like. She just knew that they were there.

Even now she could sense their presence nearby, wherever they might be.

“Kevin said Kiana has her own squadron now and Shigure Kira is her instructor. Must be fun, Having a squadron of your own." She continued before pausing for a moment. Just like always they didn’t respond but she decided to take their silence as a yes.

“I hope she can introduce them to me sometime." She wondered what kind of people were in Kiana's squadron. She hoped that she could get along with them just like Mrs. Cecilia’s old Squadron. 

‘If I were healthy, I wonder if I could become a Valkyrie too. Just like you and your family.’ But that was all it was, just a fleeting dream. She was already quite lucky to be able to survive for this long.

Unlike with other diseases, modern medicine can only slow or halt the corruption rate hoping that the body would naturally heal itself. Another method would be to expel the excess Honkai energy so the body would have an easier time healing but if the case were already severe then there wasn’t much that the patient nor the doctors could do in that situation.

In the girl’s case, her body’s naturally high Honkai adaptation helped tremendously in her survival. But it was unfortunately not enough since her Honkai corruption case was different. Something that the doctors couldn’t really explain. It was as if her body was producing and receiving Honkai energy from the surrounding environment and this made it so that her body’s adaptation couldn’t keep up with the disease.

She could’ve chosen the easy way, choosing death over life but—

“Don’t worry, Bianka.” A white-haired child clasped both of her hands together. “No matter what it takes we’ll find the cure for you… A Kaslana never backs down from her words after all!” The little girl smiled brightly. A bundle of light that lit up Bianka’s world.

“Mhm. So stay strong okay, Bianka?” Kevin said with a reassuring smile. “On the weekends I’ll be sure to visit! School has kept me really busy lately” He sheepishly added. At the time he was still an Einherjar trainee yet true to his words the boy would always visit her every Saturday or Sunday, telling her and his little sister, Kiana about his experiences at the Akademie.

“Sorry, I couldn’t visit often,” Cecilia said, taking a seat beside her bed.

“It’s fine, Mrs. Cecilia. Kevin and Kiana are fun to hang around.”

“I’m glad you got along with them well.” She smiled, feeling proud of her kids. “I came here to ask you if you want to partake in an experimental treatment. You can say no if you want.”

“What kind of treatment?” Bianka asked. Rather than scared she was curious about what kind of experimental treatment Cecilia was talking about.

“In simple terms. It is a way to make your body more resistant to the effects of Honkai corruption. A leading Scientist by the name of Dr. Nathara Mobius Leavtruth was conducting research and is nearing a breakthrough. I was hoping her research mi–”

“Then, Where do I sign up?” Bianka interrupted.

Cecilia sighed at her eagerness and stubbornness, reminding the Saintess of her own kids. “At least let me finish.” She chuckled.

—Remembering how her adoptive family never gave up on her and their patience filled her with hope and the determination to live. Even if she had to experience this pain for longer. Until the very end, she would endure it for them. That’s the least she could do to repay the kindness they’ve given her.

“I wonder how the Akademie is treating you.”

Saturday, the start of the weekend, the day when students were free to do whatever they wished to do, free from the clutches of school, except for the occasional homework some teachers might assign. But those were not the case if you were a Valkyrie trainee as Saturday was just another day of hellish training.

“The devil has infiltrated this institution!” Kyuusyou wheezed, each word dragged out by her labored breathing. “How... dare... they be... this cruel... to the... Savior!” She groaned as she and the others ran lap after lap around the 500-meter field, pushing to keep up the 2-minute pace set up by their teacher.

Kiana rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to groan at her teammate’s antics. “Save your complaints for later,” She muttered, her own breaths growing shallower with each lap. Though she wasn’t quite as worn out as her squadmate or the other trainees.

“You’re just wasting your breath, you know.” Even as she said it, Kiana felt the monotony of their 20-plus laps weigh on her legs. She cast a sidelong glance at Leon, who was resting on the benches. He had barely managed to stumble through lap 18 before collapsing on the grass with a resigned wave of defeat.

“Seele you’re out!” Their teacher’s voice, a young woman with short grey hair, rang across the field, addressing the blue-haired girl who was trailing far behind the rest of the group. “Rest up on the bench and wait for the others.” She continued as her tone softened.

“O-Okay, Natasha-sensei,” Seele responded, her face flushed as she dragged herself off the track, almost relieved to rest but still disappointed that she could only run for 22 laps.

It wasn’t bad if Kiana had to say something herself, but for Valkyries or Einherjars, these were below-average numbers.

She hadn’t expected Leon, in particular, to be that weak physically. Sure, his ingenuity and smarts made up for a lot, but she couldn’t quite see him as an Einherjar that would be deployed on the battlefield, more like a commander, honestly.

The name “Reichart”, though, intrigued her. ‘I remember hearing that name somewhere.’ Kiana thought. Her mother definitely had mentioned that name at least once before. However, Kiana couldn’t recall what it was about. Perhaps it was one of the Valkyries or Einherjars, Cecilia had told countless stories about. But Kiana couldn’t recall which one since her mother often told her stories about many of her comrades.

Kiana’s thoughts broke off as her classmates began dropping around her, one by one. By lap 24, students were collapsing onto the grass, panting hard. Even Kyuusyou’s willpower couldn’t keep her going any longer and fell on lap 26.

Kiana rolled her eyes at Kyuusyou’s remarks. However, she had to give the Chuuni some credit. Kyuusyou outlasted her sister by sheer stubbornness. 

She watched her squirm on the ground, whining dramatically about how “The Savior was now a martyr to education itself!”. She felt a strange sense of déjà vu, watching her comrade spout some delirious nonsense.

Something about Kyuusyou’s determination and weirdness felt eerily similar to the Chuuni she met in her dreams.

Not only did both of them like to speak nonsense but they were both extremely stubborn individuals, who for some reason were obsessed with this whole “Savior of the World” thing. Hell, Kiana wasn’t even that hellbent on saving the world. ‘Seriously what’s wrong with my dreams? Chuunis aren’t even my favorite character archetype .’ Kiana groaned.

By the 29th lap, only she, Kalpas, and Elysia were still running as the others had already collapsed beforehand.

‘Huh, he’s stronger than I thought.’ Kiana thought as she glanced over the only Squad 4 member remaining. It was no surprise that the children of the major families had better endurance than the rest, even if Elysia was technically adopted. But the fact that Kalpas was still holding on, even with his labored breaths, was a feat in itself. 

‘Well, he DID tank some of mom’s punches.’ She thought, recalling the stories Shinki and Elysia shared of what happened during her mom’s surprise test. ‘Guess they weren’t exaggerating after all.’

By the 36th lap, Kiana was the only one running on the field. As expected the Saintess candidate’s physical prowess was above everyone else. Feeling a sense of accomplishment, Kiana sported a small prideful smile on her face. ‘Finally, I can relax–’

“Kiana. Why are you slowing down? You’re not done yet.”

‘Eh?’ 

“Your task is not done yet, Miss Kaslana,” Natasha ordered, crossing her arms under her chest. Her red eyes drilled at the young Kaslana. “Sprint until your legs give out.” Her teacher continued, sending cold shivers down the girl’s spine.

‘YOU WITCH! JUST LET ME REST!!’  

“O-okay,” Kiana responded, resisting the urge to groan. She began to pick up her pace, pushing herself to clear the 500-meter lap in under a minute.

In the end, Kiana managed to complete 45 laps before her legs gave in and she unceremoniously collapsed onto the grass below. ‘This is just as bad as Mom's training.’ Kiana groaned, laying flat on the grass, unwilling to move a muscle.

“Great job, everyone!” Their teacher’s voice called out, softer now, as she brought over a tray of snacks and drinks. “You've earned this.”

“Thank you, Natasha-sensei! " All the students collectively cheered as they gathered around their teacher. Natasha distributed their share evenly as they munched happily on snacks. Nothing beats a good reward after a tough challenge.

“Hwaa so good~” Ninti moaned softly from the pleasure of eating some delicious treats. “But Nee san~ You were so strict back then it was so unlike you,” Ninti complained, frowning. Her purple eyes gazed at their teacher.

‘Nee-san?’ Kiana’s eyes scanned their teacher, Natasha, from head to toe. She tilted her head wondering why would Ninti call her big sister when they looked nothing alike. Maybe they weren’t actually siblings and Ninti simply knew her before she enrolled here.

Natasha sighed. “Ninti we’re in school right now. Please refer to me as sensei during class hours.” She shook her head.

“But we’re resting…”

Their teacher sighed at Ninti’s response. “.... Anyway about why I’m this strict was because Cecilia-sama asked me to,” Natasha answered. At that moment, Kiana noticed that many eyes were staring now at her.

“My mom did?” Kiana pointed at herself, tilting her head. She wondered why her mom requested Miss Natasha to be strict. 

Natasha nodded. “As a teacher, I can’t be too lenient on the trainees. But don’t worry, as long as you do well you’ll get properly rewarded by me.” Ah, so that’s why. Miss Natasha was a caring person and her mom knew that and she didn’t want her kindness to interfere with how the Valkyrie trainees were trained.

“But nee–” Natasha glared at Ninti, causing the pale-blonde girl to shiver. “Se-sensei.” Ninti reluctantly said, looking down as the grey-haired teacher nodded her head approvingly. “But sensei. The exercise was too tiring. Do we have to do this every day?” Ninti continued.

“During the Basic Combat Exercise, yes,” Natasha answered. Many students frowned a little. 

“Can’t you lower the intensity?” Ninti asked with anticipation. It would be nice if Natasha would but unfortunately, even her puppy eyes weren’t enough to deter their teacher’s defenses. 

“No,” Natasha replied without any hesitation. But that was an expected answer. Kiana would be surprised if Ninti’s request was listened to.

“Aww.” Ninti’s face drooped, feeling dejected.

“This is for your sake as well... When you’re on missions, things won’t be as forgiving as the exercises or simulations.” Natasha’s gaze fell as she looked at all of her students, her tone was somber, and her expression momentarily darkened.

“That’s why I gave you all harsh training exercises from the get-go,” Natasha continued. “As a Valkyrie or Einherjar, you should always treat each mission like it could be your last. No matter how easy it seemed.”

Everyone nodded. Kiana could understand the reasoning. After all, each mission could have its own unforeseen challenges and variables. Even the low-ranking missions can suddenly become dangerous if a swarm of low-ranking Honkai Tyranids or a high-ranking Honkai Tyranid ambushes them. Perhaps they might even encounter a rogue Herrscher but that part was highly unlikely.

“Sorry to ruin the mood,” Natasha chuckled, lightening the mood. “Eat up. We still have a bit of time left before the lesson ends. And after that? You’re free to do what you want. If you need guidance on something regarding your training, you can find me in the teacher’s lounge.”

“Finally.” Kiana groaned as the grueling combat exercise finally came to an end. Every trainee was equally exhausted in the end as they all walked back to their separate dorms.

Kiana tossed herself onto her bed. The soft mattress and pillow immediately captured her in their embrace, slowly washing her fatigue away. She really wanted to stay like this for the day after an exhausting training session.

‘I could do that. But…’ Kiana’s thoughts trailed off as she took a glance at the clock on the night table right beside her. The digital screen glowed softly, its red text displaying 10:30 AM.

As much as she wanted to doze off and rest. She still had a promise she had to fill with her sister and breaking such promises would be a no go.

‘Bianka is waiting for me.’ She sighed and forced herself out of her bed and went to the bathroom, taking a warm yet brief shower.

“Hmm.” Kiana hummed, brushing her hair. She thought about tying her hair back into her usual braids but decided against it as that would take too much time. So instead she let her long hair flow freely past her shoulders.

“This doesn’t look too bad either.” She commented, looking at her reflection. 

She put on her trademark green chameleon hairpin on her bangs. It was a gift that Kevin bought for her during her 11th birthday. Well as stupid as he was at least he knew a good gift. ‘But why did he have to bother to get himself one? If I didn’t insist on it my dumb brother would’ve worn it as a hairpin instead of a necklace.’ Kiana sighed as those memories of Kevin resurfaced.

“Oh~ You look lovely~.” Elysia complimented, catching Kiana as soon as she got out of her room. “Say say where are you going?” The pink-haired girl leaned closer. Her radiant smile was truly infectious.

“To visit Bianka,” Kiana answered. Well, someone needed to give a word that she was going out for today. She might as well state her intention right there so Elysia could pass it to the others should they ask. 

“Bianka? Hmm… Who’s she again?” Elysia looked up and hummed, jogging through her memories. “Oh! Her! Let me join you!” Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she remembered. Kiana was taken aback by the pink-haired sudden interest.

“Who’s Bianka?” Shinki, who was nearby and listening to their conversation at the time, asked.

“Kiana’s adoptive sister!” Elysia answered with excitement. “I never met her though.”

Kiana sighed. “Ely. I’m going to the hospital to accompany her. I promised her that.”

“Mhm~ That’s why I want to tag along! Bianka is probably lonely, you know. Surely having a few more people visiting wouldn’t be that bad. We can all be her friends~” Elysia argued.

“A hospital. Hmm, I don’t mind as long as they allow us to visit.” Shinki said.

“Eh!? Don’t leave the Savior out of this!” Kyuusyou chimed in. “Perhaps I could even ask God to bestow her a blessing!”

Kiana ignored the Chuuni’s last comment. Though she was surprised that her squadmates wanted to come with her. Elysia’s argument also had no flaw in it. 

‘Friends…’ It didn’t sound too bad. Bianka might be happy if she could make some new friends while she visited her.

“Really? Are you sure?” Kiana asked again just to be safe, making sure that they weren’t feeling pressured to join because of Elysia’s enthusiasm. 

“But I wanna meet this little sister of yours~” Elysia frowned, but knowing her Kiana could tell that it wasn’t a serious frown. “You often talked about her and that piqued my interest. I wonder how lovely your sister really is.”

“Fine. Fine. You can all come along.” Kiana shook her head, sighing. “Just don’t be surprised by how she looks.”

“Fret not! This Savior doesn’t judge each person by their external features. The so–”

“Suuure.” Kiana interrupted, rolling her eyes.

“Hmph! Let me finish!” Kyuusyou pouted. “Th-”

“Kiana-san, Can I ask why your sister is being treated in a hospital?” Shinki asked, interrupting her sister.

“...” Kiana fell silent, her eyes staring blankly as pondered for a while. She was lost in her thoughts wondering how she should answer Shinki’s question. She didn’t want to burden her squadmates with worry regarding Bianka’s condition. Aside from Kyuusyou’s whining the room fell quiet as the others waited for her answer. 

“O-oh sorry if it’s too sensitive.” Shinki apologized. It seemed like that backfired on her as she had been too silent for too long, making her friends grow more worried.

“I-It’s not what you think it is…… It’s late-stage Honkai corruption,” Kiana stated bluntly, hoping that would correct any misinterpretations they might have regarding Bianka’s condition.

“My condolences,” Shinki replied. Her face immediately turned into a frown, feeling guilty for asking such a sensitive question. 

“Sorry to hear that, Kiana,” Elysia replied, offering her genuine sympathy with a smile.

“I see. My deepest condolences.” Kyuusyou replied in a serious tone, surprising Kiana that Shinki’s little sister could act normally.

“I-it’s okay.” Kiana crossed her arms, leaning against the wall beside their front door.  “Now hurry up or I’ll leave without all of you.” Her other squadmates hurried back to their rooms, changing clothes to suit their occasion more, something semi-formal.

Kiana’s eyes followed them for a moment before she let out an exasperated sigh. She might act impatient, but in truth, she wasn’t going to leave them behind. They might as well take their time and dress to impress.

Though why did Kiana feel like she was forgetting something? ‘Eh, it’s probably nothing.’ She shrugged.

‘Late-stage Honkai corruption.’ Shinki’s thoughts wandered off. When she heard that from Kiana, she had expected the worst. After all, at that stage, the mortality rate was 99%. There was basically no guaranteed way of survival. Unless you were one of the few lucky ones, and even not all of them could make a full recovery as some would have their immune system compromised, have permanent brain damage, or get stuck in a coma.

Limbs and organ damage, other than the brain, could easily be mitigated with today’s cloning technology as the damaged organ or limb could be replaced with a clone of that organ or limb.

However, there were some lingering questions regarding the variable that might increase a person’s rate of survival.

What if the person somehow became a Herrscher? What if a Hybrid or Honkai Sapiens managed to overcome the disease due to their inherent affinity with the Honkai? What if the person was just lucky and there simply wasn’t any other explanation besides that? Those questions lingered as hours, years, and millennia were poured into studying the truth about the Honkai phenomena.

To Shinki, Bianka was a stranger. Even if she was her comrade, Kiana’s adoptive sister. Bianka was still someone Shinki didn’t know very much about. But Shinki understood her struggle very well, the pain she had to endure on a day-to-day basis.

It wasn’t something she would’ve wished to happen even to her nemesis.

“Mai nee-san? What are you doing here?” Shinki’s train of thought broke off as Kiana addressed the purple-haired young woman in the room, who was standing right beside the patient’s bed.

Mai adjusted her sleek glasses, the thin red frames catching the light and partially concealing a striking pair of violet eyes. Her dark purple hair cascaded neatly over her shoulders. Her attire was professional, consisting of a white and sleek lab coat layered over a collared shirt. She paired it with a short black skirt and a pair of dark tight leggings underneath it.

“I’m here to collect data as well as samples for my research project,” Mai replied. “Are they your friends?” She asked. Her attention turned to Shinki and the others as she quickly scanned them from head to toe.

For a moment Kiana looked back at her friends before turning her attention back to Mai. ”They’re my squadmates,” She answered her question. “Ah right. By the way, this is Raiden Mai.” Kiana said, introducing the purple-haired woman to her friends.

“As you heard. It is a pleasure to be your acquaintance.” Raiden Mai said with a warm smile.

Wait Raiden? As in the Raiden family? The one that led ME Corp, the most influential electronics company in the entire Far East? That Raiden?

Shinki froze. That meant the person standing before them was not just any scientist but an heiress to one of the most powerful families.

“Y-yes nice to meet you too. My name’s Houraiji Shinki” Shinki stammered as she introduced herself. 

Not only did Mai come from a prestigious family, but she had also achieved so much at such a young age. ‘ I guess geniuses are inherently different.’ She thought, feeling a little envious of the woman’s achievements.

“Ho~ What a pleasant surprise to meet someone of importance to the fate of this world early on,” Kyuusyou said, her grin widened. “Pleasure to be your acquaintance! The name’s Houraiji Kyuusyou, the one and only ‘Savior of this World.’" She stroked a dramatic pose, pointing her index finger toward the person in front of her. "Remember it well! You’ll be telling stories about me someday."

She looked down and covered her embarrassed face with the palm of her hand as she felt the awkwardness loom over them. She should’ve expected this whenever Kyuusyou was around. That girl always did whatever she wanted without a care in the world. 

‘Why can’t she say something normal and break out of character for once?’ The older Houraiji groaned. She wanted to get out of the room so badly right now and banged her head on the wall because of how embarrassing this situation was.

‘Haa, Why’s she like this?’ 

A light chuckle cuts through the awkward silence, drawing Shinki’s attention to the source of the laughter. It came from none other than Bianka, the pale-skinned blonde girl sitting on the hospital bed.

She noticed Bianka’s lips curled up into an amused smile. The chuckle had a playful tone to it. She was amused as though she found Kyuusyou’s overdramatic introduction ridiculous yet oddly endearing.

Kyuusyou’s eyes glinted with delight as her grin widened. And Shinki noticed something peculiar about her.

‘I see.’ Shinki’s expression softened, smiling a little as she understood what her sister had done. It was subtle but Shinki was able to notice where her sister’s attention was focused on. Kyuusyou wasn’t looking at Raiden Mai, rather her gaze was locked on the blonde-haired girl all this time. ‘This girl. She always does what she wants huh.’ Shinki scoffed.

Elysia smiled warmly as she looked at Kyuusyou. Did the Schariac know what Kyuusyou’s schemes were? Honestly, Shinki had no idea. The scientist didn’t seem to mind though she smiled in the end, seeing that her patient was happy. Kiana was the only one who was still confused by all of this.

“S-sorry.” Bianka apologized and covered her lips when she realized she had become the center of attention. “I didn’t mean to laugh at your introduction.”

“The Savior graciously accepts your apology,” Kyuusyou declared. She struck a pose, raising her right arm which was bandaged up and covered the right side of her face in a dramatic flourish. “After all, It’s not every day the common folk get to greet the Chosen One.”

Bianka chuckled, amused while Kiana sighed, shaking her head at Kyuusyou’s theatrics. “Anyway…” Kiana said, her tone resigned. “This is Bianka Ataegina.” She gestured toward her sister, introducing her to everyone.

Bianka gave a small wave. “Hello.” She greeted. Her voice was faint, fatigued. Though despite the fatigue in her tone. She gave everyone a warm and genuine smile, pleased by everyone’s presence.

“As you know, she’s my little sister.” Kiana crossed her arms, adding proudly.

“Eh? That’s not true, Kiana,” Bianka replied in standardized German with a light chuckle. “My birthday is in January, yours is in December.”

“It’s a month difference!” Kiana protested, replying to her sister’s remarks in the same language.

“But we were born in the same year.” Bianka chuckled, giving her a teasing smile. 

“U-ugh,” Kiana’s cheeks flushed pink. “But I wanna be called big sis for once,” she mumbled, looking away.

Bianka giggled. “Ah, sorry I’m not used to speaking in Japanese all the time.” She apologized her words accented with a Germanic lilt as she slipped back into Japanese.

“It’s fine~ I understand German quite well.” Elysia hummed.

“It is mandatory to learn it. Since it is an international language so don’t worry about it, Bianka. Feel free to speak it if you’re not comfortable enough speaking in Japanese.” Shinki replied. Even though it was mandatory to learn it since elementary. It was a fact that many people in the Far East struggled to speak it even if they understood the written form.

“By the way, Mai-nee san did we interrupt you?” Kiana asked as she focused her attention on the purple-haired scientist as she was typing something on her tablet. 

“Hm?” Mai looked up from her tablet. “Oh. No, you didn't. I was just doing some check-ups to see if the experimental medicine had any side effects.”

“Experimental medicine?” She leaned forward, intrigued. She had never heard of an experimental treatment for Honkai corruption before.

Mai nodded. “Mhm, It’s not that well known to the public yet but there is one,” She replied, a faint smile crossed her lips as her eyes darted back toward the tablet in her hand. “The research is led by Dr. Leavtruth, a remarkable scientist. I’m fortunate enough to work alongside her as her assistant on the project.”

“Assistant!?” Shinki’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes. She offered me this spot. Presumably, Dr. Leavtruth or her other assistants had read my journal and found it interesting. I was going to go to university again to get my master’s degree before I accepted her offer but she insisted saying that I’m already qualified.”

“I-i see. That’s impressive.” Shinki murmured. “Can I ask what the project is all about?” 

“Let’s see…” Mai looked up as she went into deep thought. “The goal of the project is to lower the mortality rate of infected patients by helping the body build up its immune system so that it combat Honkai corruption more effectively as well as adapt to Honkai or Imaginary energy so that in the future the patient would be less likely to contract the disease again in the future.” The scientist explained as Shinki nodded.

‘So basically a Vaccine.’ Shinki thought.

“That’s why I’m collecting data from patients. Ataegina san had already signed up for this experimental treatment a year ago and fortunately, we’ve made some progress on significantly reducing the rate of infection. Albeit she was a special case, an anomaly per se.”

“Special case? Why?”

"Normally, the rate of infection or rather, corruption would have slowed by now. But somehow, that's not the case with Ataegina san.” Mai glanced at Bianka with a sad and confused expression. “Her cells are absorbing more Honkai energy than expected, and she’s also producing high levels of Honkai energy, higher than the average Valkyrie. This is highly unusual, especially for a civilian, as she hasn’t undergone Valkyrie training or been exposed to significant amounts of Honkai energy in the past."

Shinki nodded thoughtfully. While Kiana and Elysia were busy telling stories with Bianka. They didn’t notice that her sister, Kyuusyou was oddly quiet. Usually, she would’ve rambled on by now yet it seemed like she was intently observing Bianka’s condition, her eyes focused on the purple markings on the girl’s skin.

‘She must’ve had a flashback of that time.’ Shinki thought as she gazed at her sister sympathetically. She knew how those memories had haunted her ever since.

The room fell into a deep, peaceful silence under the cover of night. Shinki sat quietly on a similar hospital bed, gazing out at the new moon hanging faintly in the sky, its soft glow casting gentle shadows across the room. Her family had all drifted into sleep beside her bed, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Her gaze dropped to her own hands, where ominous purple lines had crawled along her pale skin, an ever-present reminder of Honkai corruption that plagued her. Shinki frowned as she turned her attention back to her family’s sleeping faces. 

Her mother tried to remain composed, but Shinki knew deep down that her mother was anxious. Kyuusyou, on the other hand, had been more open with her emotions as evident by the faint tear marks that were staining her cheeks as she desperately held onto her hand unwilling to let go.

In the present, Shinki stared at her left hand as those memories replayed in her mind. She remembered those memories vividly even though four years had gone by. She was lucky to have survived the disease but Bianka might not be so lucky. 

‘Maybe I could help her.’

"Raiden-san, I’d like to support the project by donating my blood," Shinki spoke up, her voice steady with determination. "I… was in Bianka’s position once, so I know how hopeless it feels. I’m hoping that maybe my blood can make a difference." As someone who survived the disease, her body might’ve developed some antibodies that might help with Mai’s project.

“You…were a survivor!?” Mai expressed her surprise but quickly composed herself. Though her reaction was understandable. It wasn’t easy to find or even get in contact with a survivor like Shinki. 

“My apologies for my sudden outburst.” Mai bowed a little as she apologized. “But yes that would help a lot but unfortunately we would still need the consent of your parents or guardian since you're still a minor. Even if it's for a blood donation.”

Shinki nodded, already reaching for her phone. “I’ll contact my mom right now.”

“Thank you,” Mai replied, a small smile breaking her usually composed expression. “I’ll arrange the contract with Dr. Leavtruth as soon as you’ve got permission. It’s mostly for formality. But really… thank you.”

“It’s nothing…” she murmured, though her gaze softened as it fell on Kyuushou and the others. Kiana, Bianka, and her sister sat together, engrossed in a mobile game while Elysia cheered them on, sharing laughter and joy between them. “…I just want to help people find that kind of hope.”

“HAHAHA! See! I told you to put faith in the Chosen One!” Kyuusyou grinned, celebrating their victory. From what Shinki observed by peering over Kiana’s shoulder as she played. It had been a tense match, closer than anyone had expected.

They were engrossed in playing a popular MOBA game called Homu Legends. In this game, players chose from a roster of beloved animated characters known as The Homus, a factor that helped boost the game’s popularity among mainstream audiences.

The gameplay was straightforward yet strategic. It was a 5v5 match where each team aimed to take down the opposing team’s inhibitor towers on a balanced, mirrored map. The map featured 3 lanes, the Gold lane, the EXP lane, and the mid lane. Between those lanes was the jungle area. Each lane ultimately led to the team’s and enemy’s inhibitor towers, which were defended by 3 turrets spanning each lane. The game would go on until one team destroyed the other team’s inhibitor towers, claiming victory.

“I can’t believe that actually worked!” Kiana groaned, letting out a sigh of relief as she slumped down onto her chair. It was an all-or-nothing plan. With Kyuusyou playing as the sustain fighter on the EXP laner. She and their team’s tank both defended the base long enough for Kiana to sneak in and take down the enemy base by split pushing.

They were already very late into the game as it was already a 16-minute match at that point. So the time it took for a player to respawn almost took a whole minute. If any of them were to die, Kiana wouldn’t be able to recall back to her base as she was already deep within the enemy’s territory.

“All of you played really well.” Elysia giggled. “Who knew watching someone else play was quite fun!”

“You never play or watch someone play video games before Elysia?” Bianka asked.

“Nope~” Elysia bluntly answered. “Kai often reads books or tinkers with his toys. So I rarely see him play video games. Maybe he plays when he’s at home?”

“She’s always glued to him whenever I’m not around,” Kiana chuckled, stating a fact.

“Eh~ I play with the other girls too,” Elysia protested. “Kai is just an interesting person that’s why I followed him around. The other boys often distanced themselves from me for some reason. I don’t quite understand.” The pink-haired girl cutely tilted her head. “I don’t think they hate me though.”

“It’s because you’re pretty,” Kiana stated deadpanned.

“Hehe~ Thanks for the compliment!” Elysia beamed, smiling brightly, Her tone exaggerated. Though the pink-haired Schariac was genuinely happy hearing that compliment.

“So,” Shinki said. “I think I’ll go grab something to eat. Anyone want anything?” She asked as she stood up from her seat. A faint growl from everyone’s stomach reminded them that it was nearing lunchtime, and they hadn't had a proper meal yet.

Mai had already left some time ago, probably off to run errands or attend to her work when Kiana, Kyuusyou, and Bianka were all still engrossed in their match.

“We could order something online, Shinki. If you want I can order us something. The hospital doesn’t mind as long as we don’t make a mess in the patient’s room.” Kiana offered, already scrolling on her phone.

“I just feel like stretching my legs for a bit,” Shinki explained. Plus Shinki just wanted to roam around for a little bit to know the place better and get some fresh air.

“I’ll come with you,” Elysia said, wrapping her arm around Shinki’s. “Can’t let a girl walk alone on her own, Can I~?” The pink-haired Schariac smiled teasingly.

“Alright. So what do you guys want?” Shinki asked.

“Some Ramen would be nice, There’s a good ramen shop nearby too,” Kiana replied, typing a location into Shinki’s chat. “Oh and add some gyoza while you’re at it! Take a bunch if you can.”

“I’ll go with Ramen too,” Bianka answered.

“Eh?? Are you allowed to eat that?” It had surprised her that Bianka wanted one for herself too. Don’t patients usually eat lighter foods?

“It’s fine. As long as it’s not too cold and dry and it is easily digestible.” Bianka answered. Shinki nodded at her request as Kiana sent Shinki what the blonde-haired girl usually ordered.

“Then Kyuusyou-sama wants to have an extra egg in her curry ramen! It is, after all, a rare and divine delicacy that suits only one of my status. Also no debuffs, My loyal partner.” Kyuusyou replied, putting great emphasis on the word ‘Debuff’. 

“Yes yes, Kyuusyou sama.” While everyone else was confused about what Kyuusyou meant. Shinki rolled her eyes knowingly. It basically summed up as “Nothing spicy or bitter in my food.” However, Kyuusyou would eat it regardless even if the food was spicy as she wasn’t a picky eater.

“How about the drinks? Do you girls want anything?” Shinki asked though all of them shook their heads at her question. “Just water then,” Shinki murmured as she typed every order on her phone.

“Alright! Let’s go!” With everyone’s orders locked in. Elysia giggled excitedly, dragging Shinki along with her as the two left the room together.

The two girls walked along the hospital’s corridor, and a steady hum of hospital activities surrounded them. Just then, something, or rather someone caught Shinki’s attention. Her gaze turned and saw a girl with light gray hair walking past them, her movements quiet and purposeful, almost like a shadow slipping through the crowd.

‘Wait isn’t she?’ 

“Ah. W-wait!” With Her curiosity piqued. Shinki called the light-gray hair girl out, tugging herself free from Elysia’s grasp. “Ely you can go on ahead! I’ll join up with you soon!” Leaving Elysia behind as she went after the light gray-haired girl.

Shinki traversed through the crowd and quickened her pace as the girl was already disappearing into the crowd. She managed to catch up with the girl and gently grabbed her wrist, surprising the light gray-haired girl as she looked back at her assailant.

The two girls came face to face with each other. The unknown girl was wearing a pair of glasses and behind them was a pair of mismatched eyes, the left was a deep purple while the right was an emerald green mirroring her own. She had a white mask that covered half of her lower face, and she also wore a black cap. 

But Shinki was sure she had the right person. The girl in front of her matched the description that Kyuusyou said previously when she yapped about meeting a certain important ‘NPC’. Sure her sister might have a few screws loose but she’s surprisingly observant.

“Ah, my apologies.” Shinki bowed a little. “But I have a question that I want to ask you… Have we met before?” Shinki asked. “You seemed… familiar.” She murmured. 

Shinki didn’t know why she asked that question but as she stared into the girl’s mismatched eyes, a feeling of deja vu crept up. Something about her presence sparked an odd sense of recognition, a connection Shinki couldn’t explain no matter how hard she tried to connect the dots.

‘Her face also looked quite similar. But maybe that’s just a coincidence.’ Shinki thought as she studied the stranger’s facial features. Though it was rare it wasn’t impossible to meet someone that had the same face as you even if they’re not blood-related.

“Apologies accepted.” The girl replied, her voice thick with a Russian accent. It was similar to Seele’s and Ninti’s accent although her Japanese was a bit more fluent than theirs. “But I’m afraid we haven’t met before.” She answered bluntly, her tone cold and indifferent. “You must’ve mistaken me with someone else.” Flatly denying Shinki’s question.

“I-i see.” Maybe the stranger was right. Guess she must’ve mistaken her for someone else. Yet her sense of familiarity remained and she was unable to shake it off. Maybe this was what Kyuusyou felt since she often made a fuss about it. 

“Perhaps you knew my little sister, Kyuusyou then?” Shinki asked another question. Maybe Kyuusyou had met her before when she was a kid.

“No. If I do we would’ve known each other.” The girl answered. Shinki couldn’t deny that fact either but why did it feel like this girl was evading her questions? Maybe she’s just distrustful since they were technically strangers.

“I guess I did ask too many questions. Maybe I was being too nosy.’ Shinki thought to herself. Maybe she did get the wrong person. “I apologize for asking too many questions.” She bowed apologetically. 

“Then I’ll excuse myself. My friend is waiting for me.” With an awkward nod, Shinki turned and walked away. 

Silently the girl watched her leave as Shinki disappeared into the crowds. “This hair color is really conspicuous.” The girl murmured, fingers brushing thoughtfully over her hair strands. After a moment, She turned around and headed toward her original destination.

“Shinki~ over here,” Elysia called her friend at a nearby table inside of the ramen shop as she waited for their order to arrive. “Took you long enough. So who did you meet up with?” Elysia asked as Shinki sat down across from her.

“Kyuusyou’s mysterious person,” Shinki answered truthfully. “She matched the description. My sister gave but she doesn’t seem to know, Kyuusyou.” Or maybe that girl was just feigning ignorance. Who knows? But she didn’t seem like a bad person after meeting her.

‘Damn, I should’ve asked her her name.’ Shinki thought as she recalled the awkward first impression she gave to the stranger. Perhaps suddenly grabbing her arm wasn’t the best move she could’ve done.

Shinki let out an audible sigh. That was a blunder she wished she could’ve forgotten. She made herself look weirdly desperate now that girl’s going to think that she’s a weirdo.

“Is something wrong?” Elysia asked, tilting her head.

“No, Nothing is wrong,” Shinki replied, her voice monotone. “Please don’t ask any more about it.”

“If you say so~” Surprisingly, Elysia agreed. 

‘Huh, that was easier than I thought it’d be.’ Shinki thought Elysia would’ve pushed a bit further. Her pink-haired friend seemed like the nosy type since she was an extrovert who didn’t seem to have any sense of boundary whenever she interacted with people.

It ticked off some students and teachers but somehow none of them hated her. Sometimes she even managed to make those people open up to her. Maybe she should’ve brought Elysia with her and let her use her charm on that girl while Shinki was the one who would order the food.

‘Now I seem like I’m even more desperate to get to know her.’ Shinki groaned.

After what feels like an hour of waiting, in reality, it was only 10 minutes of waiting. Their order finally arrived.

"For five ramen, that’ll be thirty-five Gold in total," The cashier said, confirming their order. 

Gold was the universal digital and physical currency used worldwide, a standardized system that made it easy for people to pay for products and services no matter where they were.

Shinki lined up the camera of her phone with the image of blocks and lines, a QR code, plastered on the terminal window in front of her. Soon enough, a beep was heard, and she typed in her password and PINs when the prompt came up. 

And just like that the payment was done. The wonders of modern cashless transactions. Convenient, simple, and instant. No need for cash, coins, or cards cluttering her pockets anymore since all she needed was her phone and an internet connection.

“It’s done.” She said, confirming her payment as she received a digital receipt while a small printer beside the cashier whirred to life, producing a physical one.

The cashier took the printed receipt, handing it over with a polite smile. "Here’s the receipt. Thanks for ordering in Osaka Ramen, Have a nice day," she said with a smile, her tone friendly yet practiced, while neatly tucking a copy away for the store’s records.

Shinki and Elysia turned and walked back to the hospital with food at hand. They chatted along the way before they eventually arrived back at Bianka’s room, where the other three were waiting patiently.

With a grin, Elysia pushed the door open. “Food delivery!” She announced excitedly, holding the bags high so that everyone could see.

“Took you long enough.” Kiana huffed. “This is why I prefer to order stuff.” She grumbled, the sound of her stomach growling in agreement. Her cheeks flushed pink as she glanced away from the group, embarrassed. The others couldn’t help but laugh at the impeccable timing of it.

Shinki passed out the food, handing each person their order. Everyone gathered around except for Bianka, who was staying in bed.

“So good~” Kiana moaned delightfully as she dug into her meal. “I want extra!”

“Use your own Gold, Kiana,” Shinki chuckled. “Today was already my treat.” She had already spent quite a bit of her weekly allowance for this. Even though St.Freya did give them some money for allowances, Shinki didn’t want to spend all of her Gold and decided to save some for emergencies and other things.

Her eyes fixed on the screen of her phone as the account balance glowed back at her: 315 Gold. ‘It’s a lot more than what Mom usually gives me,’ Shinki thought.

“Alright. Alright. I’ll order some more on my own.” Kiana said nonchalantly, waving off the concern as if money wasn’t an issue. Her carefree attitude left Shinki wondering just how much allowance Kiana received each month. After all, being the daughter of the renowned Cecilia Schariac probably came with its perks. Did Kiana get the same amount as her or a significant boost?

Shinki glanced at Kiana, who was happily slurping her ramen, seemingly without a care in the world. ‘Better not,’ she decided, shaking off the thought. It would be rude to outright ask such a personal question, even if curiosity was tugging at her.

Instead, Shinki focused on her own meal. She had to admit though, Kiana’s recommendation was great. The Ramen was rich and flavorful, the Curry broth she ordered was perfectly balanced, and the noodles weren’t too soft, It had the right amount of chewiness to it.

Shinki couldn’t help but let out a soft, delighted moan as the flavors danced on her tongue. For its price, it was definitely a worthy purchase. 

The atmosphere relaxed as the Starlight Saviors savored their meal while occasionally talking with each other about various topics. Ranging from school-related topics to gossip to games and hobbies.

Soon evening came as the sun dipped lower on the sky, casting a soft orange glow into the room. A knock on the door drew everyone’s attention. Everyone turned, curious as the door creaked open revealing a familiar figure. 

Kevin Kaslana stood in the doorway. Draped in a dark, knee-length coat worn over a casual white shirt and dark blue denim.

“Starlight Saviors,” Kevin said, his tone serious, catching everyone off guard since he was usually a laid-back individual, and the way he used their squad name made it clear he wasn’t just here for casual conversation. Did they mess up somehow?

“Kira san was looking for you,” Kevin added. Hearing that Shinki and the other’s expression dropped as they exchanged glances. Right, their instructor, Kira, seemed that no one remembered to leave a message to her while they were having fun.

Kevin crossed his arms. “Next time leave a message to your squad instructor before you leave the dorm unattended. Even if it is during the weekend, Shigure Kira is still responsible for you so try not to leave without saying anything.” He reminded.

“Sorry,” Kiana apologized sheepishly.

The young man let out a sigh. “I get it. You’re here for Bianka, just don’t make it a habit, Kiana.” He said, his tone softening. “That also applied to all of you. When you wanna leave St. Freya for whatever purpose you must tell your instructor about that. Either leave them a message or talk to them directly.”

“We’ll take note of that.” Shinki stepped forward and bowed, trying to shift Kevin’s attention to her. “We’re sorry for this incident.”

“Good.” Kevin nodded, his gaze softening. “Now you should head back soon. Kira-san isn’t too thrilled right now.” The group nodded, realizing their fatal mistake.

“Sorry about that, Bianka.” Kiana chuckled, smiling sheepishly as she turned to her sister.

“It’s fine. Just try not to forget next time okay?” Bianka giggled.

“Yeah,” Kiana replied.

“I promise we’ll visit with Kiana again!” Elysia gently cupped Bianka’s hands together. “I wish you good health until then.”

“Mhm.” Shinki nodded, silently praying for her good health. Shinki hoped that just like her, Bianka too would survive this disease.

“I, The Savior blessed you with good luck!” Kyuusyou said dramatically, pointing her right arm at Bianka.

Shinki shook her head and sighed. She grabbed her sister by the back of her collar, dragging her along as the group left after saying their goodbyes. 

“Kiana got some good friends,” Bianka said, watching them leave as her eyes lingered toward the door of her room.

“Yeah. I’m glad she did.” Kevin smiled before turning his attention to the blonde-haired girl. “Say how are you feeling today? Sorry that I arrived here late. I had some things I needed to do.”

“I-it’s fine!” Bianka smiled. “I had a lot of fun today.”

Kevin smiled, happy to hear that his sister had some fun. “I see.”

When they arrived back to their dorm. They found that Kira was waiting for them in the living room. From her expression alone Kiana knew Kira was very angry. 

Kiana's heart sank. This might’ve been the biggest blunder Kiana had ever made and she made it during her first week of being a Valkyrie trainee of all things!

‘Ugh, I knew I forgot something.’ Kiana thought bitterly, feeling guilty that she had unfortunately dragged her teammates into this mess because of her carelessness.

“Young ladies.” Kira stood up from the sofa, crossing her arms. She stared at the trainees as they kneeled in front of her. “Next time all of you go out somewhere. Call me first before all of you leave this dorm unattended.”

Kiana gulped. “S-sorry Auntie Kira,” Kiana spoke up.

“Kiana,” Kira called her name, making her flinch as her sharp eyes bore into Kiana’s very soul. “What did I tell you about calling me that at school?”

“Hiek!” Kiana yelped, feeling her presence get smaller as the Valkyrie continued to stare at her.

“You’re lucky, Cecilia-sama and Kevin knows where you were.” Kira sighed, her disappointment was evident. “Otherwise you would’ve been in a lot more trouble when I found you.”

The room was silent as Kira’s words sank in. The blue-haired Valkyrie studied them for a long while before softening her stance. “I’ll let it slide for now. But if this happens again do remember I won’t be too lenient.”

“Y-yes ma’am.” All four of them said in unison, relieved that the reprimand hadn’t been much worse.

They were quite fortunate this time as Kira decided to let them off with just a simple scolding. It was a lesson Kiana and the others wouldn’t soon forget, one that would echo in their minds for a long time even after the day had ended.

Reference images for Characters:

Kevin

Raiden Mai

Natasha Cioara