In the world of Honkai, Herrschers are the highest manifestation of Honkai energy—and the greatest threat to human civilization.
Every time a Herrscher is born, it brings with it a disaster powerful enough to shake the heavens and tear the earth apart.
If not defeated swiftly and decisively, a Herrscher could unleash an endless wave of Honkai, leading to the complete destruction of humanity.
Yet, despite being the most catastrophic embodiments of the Honkai, Herrschers share a surprising resemblance to humans.
They possess consciousness, personalities—and even the potential to resist the will of the Honkai itself.
This is why not all Herrschers meet the same fate.
While some are eliminated and their cores harvested—many turned into the Divine Keys by the Previous Era—others meet very different ends.
The most notable example is the Herrscher of Reason in this era.
He defied the Honkai's will and, under the name Welt, chose to stand with humanity, passing on his powers to future generations and helping in the fight against the Honkai.
Today, the mantle of the Herrscher of Reason has passed to the third generation—Bronya.
This fiery ghost girl now carries on Welt's legacy, continuing the fight for human survival.
Another unique case is the Herrscher of Death from the previous era.
She wielded the purest power of disintegration and destruction, alongside unmatched regenerative abilities.
Then, as the story goes… she was supposedly killed by Fu Hua in a single punch.
(Details are sketchy—records are vague.)
Curiously, fragments of the Herrscher of Death ended up manifesting as pure hatred toward the Honkai, taking form within the Stigmata of Soul Feast.
That stigmata became the source of power—and alternate personality—for Seele Vollerei.
And then there's this era's third Herrscher: the Herrscher of Thunder.
Unlike others who unleashed indiscriminate destruction, this Herrscher was different.
She acted more like a guardian spirit for Raiden Mei—protecting both Mei and Kiana.
She even sided with Mei during Kiana's Herrscher awakening.
Most likely another Honkai turncoat…
Finally, we come to the most special Herrscher of all: this generation's second Herrscher, and the only one to fully awaken in this era.
The Herrscher of the Void—Sirin.
Born in the year 2000, in Siberia.
A tragic girl whose life was twisted by cruel experiments, awakening as a Herrscher and nearly destroying the world.
The battles involving Sirin in 2000 were too chaotic and convoluted.
Even Kagura found them hard to follow—there were too many retcons.
And now that she's inside this world for real, not just reading about it from her past life… she honestly has no idea what actually happened in this universe's version of events.
But one thing about Sirin is certain:
Sirin was unloved.
She lacked love—especially a mother's love.
That absence of warmth is what allowed the Honkai to corrupt her.
It's what made her loathe humanity and the world, and ultimately turned her into the fully awakened Herrscher of the Void.
So if Kiana is to truly master Sirin's power, it's not enough to just defeat her in combat.
Kagura must reach into Sirin's heart.
She has to help the real Herrscher of the Void let go of her hatred—toward humanity, and the world.
Only then can her power fully merge with Kiana's, allowing Kiana to awaken as the true Valkyrie.
After all, if we consider the connection between Kiana (K-423) and Sirin...
Kiana's personality originated from Sirin's own. In a way, they might even be the same person.
With this in mind, Kagura structured the Mirror Universe she created into two separate layers:
The surface world, where Kiana faces Sirin in combat—reliving the battle in the Siberian snowfields of the year 2000. Here, she must confront the Herrscher of the Void and overcome her greatest nightmare with her own strength.
The inner world, far more important, where Kagura meets the real Sirin—the lonely girl behind the monstrous power. In this world, Kagura must reach her, show her love, and help her let go of the hatred festering in her heart.
In this world, Kagura will finish what Cecilia Schariac, Kiana's mother, could not.
Defeating someone might be easy.
But making them release their hatred and drop their prejudice…
That's a different battle entirely.
This was Kagura's plan to help Kiana.
Once the fragmented personas were unified—Kiana, Sirin, and the Herrscher of the Void would become one.
Only then would Herrscher Kiana's true form be born.
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— Unknown Time and Place —
Kagura opened her eyes to find herself standing in a snow-covered forest.
The sky above was gray.
Snowflakes drifted gently down as the chill bit into her exposed shoulders and thighs, making her shiver in her off-shoulder dress and thigh-high socks.
But no worries. The outfit was just for show.
Her "White Moon" combat suit immediately activated its thermal regulation system, quickly driving the cold away.
"So… this is Sirin's inner world?"
Kagura looked around at the lifeless forest, then started down a narrow snow-covered path between the trees.
"It's so quiet… and cold. Not a trace of warmth. Just loneliness—deep and aching."
Unlike the surface world she had customized to trigger Kiana's fighting spirit, Kagura had left the inner world's design entirely up to Sirin's own consciousness.
By doing so, she could step into Sirin's mind directly—rather than forcing Sirin to interact within a fabricated dream.
She didn't want to make this already distrustful girl even more wary of her.
After walking for a while, Kagura spotted a small wooden cabin up ahead.
A warm glow spilled from its windows—a flicker of light in the otherwise frozen world.
"Hmm, that must be it."
Looking at the cozy cottage, Kagura muttered to herself, "In the heart of this lonely, frozen mind… there remains a single little home, still longing for love and hope. Yep—this is it. This has the vibe."
Having found her destination, she pressed on through the snow, heading toward the lonely cabin.
Of course, it wouldn't be that easy.
'Rrrruuumble—!'
A low, thunderous growl echoed as the ground ahead exploded in a flurry of snow.
Lights rained down from the sky like falling stars, scattering in all directions.
Bolts of lightning, born from Honkai energy, cracked down like curtains being torn through the sky and earth.
'BOOM—!'
Massive wings erupted, sending a tidal wave of snow into the air. The peaceful forest was instantly swept clean.
"Raaaargh!"
A silver-white dragon burst into the sky, its body charged with apocalyptic energy, turning everything around it to ash.
"Who dares… approach Her Majesty the Queen?!"