While Kiana and Mei talked with Bronya in the pocket dimension Reina stood in her own dimension staring at two floating cocoons glowing faintly in front of her.
A hologram of a man shimmered beside her watching the same cocoons. "This combination is stable enough now. Just balance your power and make room for these two" he said.
"I see but I'll wait a bit before trying. I need to ensure it's stable and won't make things worse" Reina replied.
She raised both hands using her Astral power to configure the cocoons harmonizing their energy with hers.
Her power flowed through her hands reaching out to test the cocoons' stability.
The energy circled the cocoons briefly. With a grasp of her hands she let her power touch them absorbing into their surface.
At first nothing happened like the cocoons accepted her power. "Is it done?" Reina murmured hoping to finish and help Kiana and Mei.
But then the cocoons pulsed wildly blinking with unstable energy. A shockwave of wind erupted rejecting her power and pushing her back.
"Ughh!" Reina crossed her arms shielding herself from the blast.
The shockwave faded leaving silence as if nothing happened.
The hologram man shook his head knowing this attempt failed.
"Damnit!" Reina slammed her fist into the ground. This was her 403rd failed try to stabilize the cocoons.
She'd been working for months to make them stable but nothing worked.
"This is pointless. I need more time but I don't have it. I need to help Kiana and Mei and the people there" Reina said gritting her teeth staring at the cocoons.
"It seems your control over your power is unbalanced. Has you rarely used your abilities since arriving in this world?" the man said noticing Reina's power felt off.
Reina thought back. Since arriving she mostly used her creation power and rarely her other abilities except physical strength training with Kiana and Mei. She hadn't truly used her powers here.
"Yes I've barely used my other powers since getting here. I'm laying low until Kiana's strong enough to protect herself from Otto and Kevin" Reina said.
"I see. It makes sense. After I created you your mind struggles to adapt. For so long we have had a mind that has already adapted to our power, and now you with only half of my power but similar mind and experience to me your mind still can't adapt to the change in your body." the man said.
Reina looked at her arms realizing he was right. She rarely used her powers so she never noticed the imbalance.
She'd fix it later after Nagazora. "You're right but for now I'm focusing on Nagazora" she said.
"Do you have a plan? Should I ask Sandalphon or Gabriel to assist?" the man asked.
"No their help would complicate things" Reina replied.
"Then do you want my help?" he asked.
His help could solve everything instantly but… "You know how we are right? My original" Reina said smiling at the cocoons.
"Heh I know. I'm just asking if you want help" he said shaking his head but smiling too.
Though Reina was his copy both were Astrals that shared one trait and that's their stubbornness.
"I'm going with plan B. I can't keep Kiana and Mei waiting too long" Reina said.
"I see. Good luck then Reina" the man said.
"Thanks Rei for helping me so far. See you later" Reina said waving as the man's hologram vanished leaving her alone in her dimension.
Her plan A was to absorb the Herrscher of Void and Thunder cores to become a Herrscher herself. But her power couldn't sync with the cores making it fail.
Becoming a Herrscher would let her control Honkai easily absorbing it from zombies to save them without killing.
But that plan failed so she had to use her other plan.
If she can't become Herrscher and save the people that turned into zombies without killing them, then all she needs to do is to kill them and then revive them.
With a gesture of her hand she pushed the two cocoons far away floating out of her reach so they wouldn't interfere.
She focused inward drawing on her Astral power. Six dark wings sprouted from her back shimmering with energy.
"Seven Trumpets six labors start" she said. The dimension shook violently as her wings leaking raw power.
"Omen of the First Labor, Omen of the Second Labor, Omen of the Third Labor…" she chanted. Each omen made her wings leak more power growing stronger.
If Kiana were here she'd feel crushed by the intense pressure of Reina's power. And it would've destroyed everything around her if she was in the real world.
Reina reached the final omen the sixth one setting everything in place for her transformation.
"Celestial Fusion: Zero Form Unleashed!" she declared her true form awakening.
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"Huh what is that?" Kiana turned to her side but saw only the empty hallway they passed through earlier.
"Does Subject Kiana detect something wrong?" Bronya asked noticing Kiana's reaction.
"No… I mean I don't know. I felt something dangerous for a split second but it's probably my imagination" Kiana said rubbing her neck.
For a moment she sensed overwhelming energy giving her goosebumps but it vanished quickly so she brushed it off.
"Anyway Mei are you sure you don't want to go back to the real world and find Reina?" Kiana asked Mei beside her.
Mei was too weak to walk from the poison. They couldn't stay forever since the Honkai outside would find them soon so they decided to move to another spot.
Kiana supported Mei helping her move to a new location.
"Yes we should focus on the giant flower. It'd be a waste to use your energy opening a gate to the real world. Better save it for a chance to attack and destroy that flower" Mei said thinking even if they escaped the Honkai would return to the real world soon. Staying here to kill beasts would help.
When Reina arrived she could focus on the giant flower instead of the Honkai beasts.
"So how much energy have we got so far?" Kiana asked Sora in her mind.
"[Not much. I've been absorbing Honkai energy in this dimension but the giant flower's taking it faster and stronger. I can only get a little]" Sora replied.
"Damn so I still can't transform?" Kiana asked.
"[You can't fully transform into Herrscher but you could do a partial transformation]" Sora said.
"Like half transform? How does that work?" Kiana asked.
"[You can use some Herrscher power but you won't be able to fly in half form so we can't hit the giant flower yet]" Sora explained.
"That's good to know" Kiana said.
They focused on moving to a new spot. After talking they decided to go higher in the building instead of heading outside to another one.
Going outside was risky with so many Honkai beasts roaming. The flying ones were gone killed by Mei's earlier attack so climbing higher was safer.
After five minutes of moving they reached a decent spot with chairs sofas and a table. Rubble and debris were scattered but it wasn't bad.
It looked like a work office maybe a manager's room or meeting space with all the chairs. Kiana cleared a sofa and helped Mei rest there.
Bronya move to the window checking the situation outside.
"This should be good. How's the poison in your body?" Kiana asked after settling Mei.
"I'm still fine. If something's wrong I'll tell you don't worry" Mei said with a weak smile.
Kiana looked at Mei's condition not fully believing her but nodded. After making Mei comfortable she joined Bronya at the window.
Outside countless Honkai beasts roamed Templar Chariot and lower-class ones with no tier.
No Emperor-class or higher beasts were around so it wasn't too bad for now.
"What does Subject Kiana plan to do?" Bronya asked.
"My plan? Go out there and beat as many Honkai beasts as I can" Kiana said with a proud grin.
"That is a simple-minded plan is it not?" Bronya said looking at Kiana like she was an idiot.
"Probably but that's just how I am. Reina always said I'm a straightforward person so that's me" Kiana said summoning her guns and grabbing them.
"That seems like suicide. There are too many out there" Bronya said.
"You don't get it. A little girl like you should just sleep on the sofa with Mei and let adults handle the hard stuff" Kiana said ruffling Bronya's hair messing up her drill ponytails.
Bronya opened her mouth to complain about her hair but Kiana spoke again.
"I forgot to thank you earlier. You shot that laser beam right? Thanks to you I manage to teleported to Mei. Now just leave this to me. I need you to stay here and protect Mei okay?" Kiana said.
Bronya looked at Kiana's serious face staying silent for a moment before nodding and glancing at Mei resting.
"Thank you Bronya" Kiana said.
She let go of Bronya's head and turned back to focus on the chaos outside.
"We go with that Sora" Kiana said.
"[Alright just leave your back to me and focus on the front]" Sora replied.
"You know you've been really cooperative since the explosion happened. Did you leave your tsundere tendency back home?" Kiana said with a small laugh.
"[WHAT!? If you die I die too! So I won't let that happen until I get my own body! And who said I'm tsundere? Did Reina tell you that??]" Sora snapped.
Kiana laughed despite the bad situation. Sora's presence eased her fear of fighting alone.
Without wasting time Kiana transformed into her Herrscher form. Her clothes glowed brightly but her energy wasn't enough for a full shift.
She half-transformed one eye turning yellow wearing a black and orange hairpin. A black coat draped over a black and white suit with black and white gloves. A white belt hung at her waist one leg in a black thigh boot the other in a black shoe.
The form let her use Herrscher strength and abilities but she couldn't fly. "Let's do this!" she shouted jumping off the building toward the Honkai beasts.
During the fall she charged energy into her guns firing bolts that exploded wiping out beasts below.
The explosions shook the building. Mei who had her eyes closed slowly opened them. "Where's Kiana?" she said noticing Kiana was gone only Bronya remained.
"Subject Kiana is currently outside fighting" Bronya said looking down from the window.
"Outside!? She's out there alone?? What is she doing??" Mei panicked trying to stand.
Her legs wobbled and she fell back onto the couch unable to move. "C'mon move!" she forced her body but it was useless.
"[That's enough Mei the more you move the more the poison spreads!]" her other personality warned.
"But Kiana we need to help" Mei said.
"Subject Mei needs to rest" Bronya said walking toward her.
This was a perfect chance for Bronya to capture Mei but being in Kiana's dimension she couldn't escape anywhere so she doesn't do anything for now.
"But Kiana can't fight all that alone" Mei pleaded.
"Subject Kiana told Bronya to take care of Subject Mei" Bronya replied.
Hearing that really surprised Mei. Instead of asking Bronya to cover Kiana while fighting, she asked Bronya to protect her.
She remembered Bronya's robot cannon is strong enough to help. With the poison weakening her Mei felt frustrated lying helpless.
Kiana had done most of the work, creating this dimension, protecting her against the giant flower. And ow she couldn't help at all.
"Then Bronya, can you help Kiana instead?" Mei asked.
"Kiana's alone out there fighting. Please help from that window, protect her with your cannon" Mei pleaded.
Bronya thought to refuse. Helping didn't benefit her mission to kidnap Mei and escape easily, so she'd rather save her energy.
"I know you already helped us before, Bronya, but if you don't mind, please help me. I can't do anything for Kiana, so please" Mei said, tears streaming down her sad face.
"Seele…" That sight reminded Bronya of Seele. She recalled trying to save Seele from human trafficking with all she had, only for Seele's other personality to rescue them.
Seeing Mei now brought back those memories. "Understood. Bronya will cover Subject Kiana from here" she agreed, floating to the window with Project Bunny.
"Thank you, Bronya" Mei said, grateful for the help.
Looking outside, Bronya saw Kiana fighting like an A-rank Valkyrie. With Herrscher power, she'd easily be S-rank.
"Project Bunny, prepare" Bronya commanded. Project Bunny aimed its cannon, calculating impact and damage to avoid hitting Kiana.
After choosing a target, it gathered energy. "Fire" Bronya said. The projectile sped past Kiana, exploding beside her.
"What the hell???" Kiana jumped, surprised by the sudden blast.
Glancing back, she saw the broken window where Bronya can be seen and another shot hit a Honkai beast nearly striking her.
Kiana smiled continuing to fight with Bronya's backup now.
While they battled the giant flower bud moved again nearly revealing the sleeping girl inside. Her eyelids twitched faintly.