'Bang! Bang! Bang!'
Explosions erupted one after another across the street, flames raging in every direction.
All traces of peace and prosperity had been swept away—order was gone, and tranquility obliterated.
That's what Honkai is. Its only purpose is to destroy civilization and spread chaos throughout the world.
After the Tenkyo defense forces retreated, Kiana was left alone, still facing off against the remaining Honkai beasts.
But even as she fought, the Herrscher of the Void—the persona buried deep within her—continued to stir violently.
One moment of weakness, and that inner presence would seize control, turning her back into the Herrscher once more.
"Ugh…!"
A flash of light lit up the corner of the street.
A searing energy beam from Ashibo—the Emperor-class Honkai Beast—pinned Kiana down.
Fire roared all around her. Using the flaming wreckage of a car as cover, she barely managed to escape the devastating beam.
"Haa… haa… haa…"
Her breathing was ragged. Her stamina nearly spent. Cold sweat streamed down her pale face.
She was a Valkyrie—one of the elite warriors trained to fight Honkai.
Not just any Valkyrie, either. Kiana had undergone rigorous training and survived countless battles.
But now? She wasn't just fighting Honkai beasts—she was also battling the enemy within.
And against a high-tier monster like Ashibo, that made the situation utterly hopeless.
"I can't… I can't win. There's no way I can win…"
Slumped on the ground, the girl clutched her body tightly, trembling.
"Why did it come to this… It's all my fault. All of it…"
Her left arm, scorched by the beam, throbbed with unbearable pain.
Her legs felt too weak to lift her even an inch.
"I'm useless… completely useless… Is this… the end for me?"
For months, Kiana had been fighting alone in the city—striking down Honkai beasts wherever they appeared.
She didn't even know why anymore.
She wasn't sure her solo investigation into the disaster meant anything.
Maybe… maybe after becoming a Herrscher and hurting so many people, all she really wanted was atonement—a desperate attempt to make up for the damage she caused.
As for the meaning of the fight?
Win or lose… it didn't matter anymore.
In truth, dying in battle almost felt like a kind of relief.
Before she realized it, tears were welling in her eyes.
Clenching her teeth, her body shaking, Kiana whispered bitterly,
"What a disgrace… I'm the worst Valkyrie ever…"
But maybe… this was for the best.
Whether she died in battle or quietly in some forgotten alley… it wouldn't make a difference, would it?
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Kiana lifted her trembling hand, the barrel of her gun aimed at her own head.
"I'm just a criminal… a monster who hurt everyone…"
"Class Rep… Himeko… Mei… Everyone… I'm sorry. I'm the most pathetic Valkyrie there ever was… I couldn't protect anyone. I only brought ruin."
"It's fine now, right? If I die… maybe the world will finally know peace. Maybe the Herrscher won't ever return…"
[Ha! Foolish delusion!]
The Herrscher's voice rang out once more, cold and sharp.
[Didn't I tell you? The moment you pull that trigger, your body becomes mine!]
[So go on, Kiana—pull it. Set yourself free.]
[And when you're gone, I'll use your corpse to turn the world to ash!]
"Why… Why is this happening to me?!"
Kiana cried out in anguish.
"Why me? Why does it have to be me?! Please, just leave me alone, Sirin—please!"
[Leave you alone?]
[Don't make me laugh. You're occupying the body that rightfully belongs to me, Kiana!]
"I… I don't want to keep suffering like this…"
Tears wouldn't stop falling. Her voice was weak, eyes filled with hopelessness.
Behind her, the Honkai beasts were closing in.
A Knight-class beast launched a vicious charge, its unbreakable lance aimed directly at Kiana's heart.
Ashibo's arms surged with destructive Honkai energy—enough to reduce anything they touched to ashes.
But Kiana no longer wanted to fight.
She knew, deep down, that in her current condition, she had no chance of victory. Her body was at its limit.
All this time, she'd kept fighting—futilely trying to atone for the sins she committed as the Herrscher.
If she could just die here, facing the Honkai… maybe that would be the only ending she deserved.
But she also knew—if she died by her own hand, the Herrscher would awaken again and bring untold destruction.
Her hand trembled violently around the gun's grip.
"But still… I can't go on like this! I can't… I'm sorry, everyone… I'm really at my limit…"
'FWOOOSH—!'
Just as Kiana began to pull the trigger—
A searing blaze erupted from the distance, sweeping past her in a streak of fire, scorching everything in its path.
It was warm… so warm. A familiar warmth…
'BOOM!!!'
The charging Knight-class beast was struck head-on by the brilliant flames, its body instantly incinerated, reduced to blackened remains in a matter of seconds.
"Ah… ah!"
Kiana's blue eyes, faintly glowing with golden light, widened in shock as they locked onto the figure approaching from the flames.
Her pupils quivered, as if clinging to the first ray of hope after drowning in endless darkness.
Her lips—dry and cracked from exhaustion—parted unconsciously.
Her bloodied face twisted into an expression of disbelief, and then—
Tears burst from her eyes like a dam breaking.
"Himeko… sensei…?"
"What are you doing, Kiana?"
That familiar voice—calm, confident, and unwavering—cut through the smoke like a divine echo crossing dimensions themselves.
Each step echoed with authority as Murata Himeko emerged from the fire.
Clad in crimson armor and a flowing black cape, her figure radiated power and grace.
In her hands, the blazing Godslayer Blade shimmered, her golden eyes burning with determination.
"You're giving up already? Kiana, that's not like you at all."
As their paths crossed, Kiana could hardly believe what she was seeing.
But it wasn't a dream.
It wasn't a hallucination.
Himeko was truly here. She had come back.
"Himeko-sensei… is it really you? Is it really you!?"
Kiana whipped around, terrified that what she saw might vanish if she blinked.
"Of course it's me."
Himeko raised the blazing sword high.
"Now get up, Kiana. Stand up—for your dream!"
"But… there's a Herrscher inside me… I'm afraid…"
'Clang! Clang! Clang!'
Before she could finish, flashes of silver streaked past.
A silver-haired, golden-eyed girl moved gracefully beside Kiana, her presence like a cutting breeze—sharp, yet comforting.
In the next instant, her blade sliced straight through Ashibo, the high-tier Honkai beast, cleaving it effortlessly like soft tofu.
"Afraid? Why fear a power that's your own?"
Kagura lowered her sword, turning her head toward Kiana.
Under the moonlight, her shimmering silver hair framed her striking face and glowing eyes with an almost otherworldly beauty.
"I've already heard about your situation from Miss Himeko. Listen to me, Kiana. If you truly want to become strong, you have to learn to master your power."
"Master… my power?"
Kiana looked confused, but a flicker of understanding sparked in her.
"But… I'm up against Sirin—the Herrscher of the Void… the one who nearly destroyed the world…"
"You still don't understand?"
Kagura turned to face her directly, pointing her blade at Kiana.
"Sirin—the Herrscher of the Void—is already dead. What remains of her is merely a fragment of resistance buried in your soul.
She's not trying to replace you… she's trying to reject you."
"Reject me…?"
"Exactly. Because you're still not strong enough. That's why it feels like she's trying to take over your body."
Kagura's voice remained calm but firm.
"But what you don't realize is this—Kiana, the power inside you has always been yours. Sirin is part of you. The Herrscher of the Void is part of you. Which means… you are Sirin."
"The Herrscher's power… belongs to me?"
Kiana's eyes widened in shock, struggling to process the idea.
"Yes," Kagura nodded. "Your guilt, your fear, your hesitation… they've all turned your memories of Sirin into something uncontrollable.
But the truth is, you and the Herrscher were never separate. There's nothing to 'seize'—because that power was always yours."
"So stand, Kiana. For your dreams. For what you believe in."
The night wind blew gently, catching Kagura's silver strands and making them dance like ribbons of moonlight.
"Didn't you say you wanted to become the strongest Valkyrie? Then pick up your courage. Take that first step, with strength and conviction."
Kiana fell silent, deep in thought.
And then, slowly, something inside her shifted.
"Yeah… what have I been afraid of all this time?"
Realization began to dawn in her eyes—clarity breaking through the haze.
"Okay. I understand now. Thank you… beautiful onee-san!"
Kiana smiled through her tears, her voice trembling but resolute.
"Let me show you my resolve, then! Sirin! I will never surrender! I will take this power—and make it mine! I will fight… for my dream!"
'Clang—!'
A radiant burst of light erupted as Kiana's right eye turned golden. Slowly, she stood back up.
The eruption of Honkai energy would have once signaled a terrifying transformation—but this time, the girl with white hair didn't become the Herrscher of the Void.
'BOOM—!'
The resulting shockwave rippled outward, but the power was controlled, held within bounds.
Kiana had done it.
She had taken command of the Honkai within her.
She had become… someone who could wield a Herrscher's power, without being consumed by it.
"Congratulations, Kiana. You did it."
Kagura smiled, watching the reborn warrior before her.
"That's how it should be. No matter what world we come from, we should always fight for what we believe in—for what's beautiful. We move forward, protect what matters, and never, ever give up."
"I'm truly glad I came to your world… to see the same radiant brilliance that exists in my own."
"And more than anything—" Kagura grinned playfully, "—I like this spirited, lively version of you far better."