"What method?"
Sirin placed both hands on the table, leaning forward slightly. "Do you need my help with something?"
"Take some people and leave Izumo."
Kiana revealed the reason she had come to find Sirin. She hoped Sirin could lead a group of people to leave Izumo ahead of time.
"It's meaningless."
Sirin shook her head. "It's already too late to escape now. We're all under Its shadow. I've tried—it doesn't matter how far you go; you can't escape Its influence. Sooner or later, we'll all return to Nihility."
"I hope you can still take some people and leave Izumo first."
Kiana repeated herself.
"I said, it's meaningless."
Their technology couldn't take them far anyway. This entire star system was within Its sphere of influence—that was what their recent observations showed.
"I'll find a way to sever this planet's connection with Nihility."
Kiana continued, her voice steady. "If it goes well, everything will be resolved."
Sirin showed no sign of joy or relief. Her eyes darkened as she stared at Kiana. "And if it doesn't go well? What price will you pay?"
They couldn't even free themselves from the corruption of Nihility—and yet Kiana spoke of cutting off an entire world's link to It.
Without paying any price?
Was that possible?
"I won't pay any price."
Kiana's tone remained calm. "If I fail, then Izumo will cease to exist."
"That's all?"
Kiana frowned. "That's all?"
"Izumo is already destined to perish. You've seen it—the disasters are growing worse. Everyone knows the end is near. Those in power are desperately trying to find ways to flee."
Sirin spoke with a calmness that showed how much she had changed during this time.
"Maybe today? Maybe tomorrow? Everyone is counting the days, waiting for that moment to come. Order has already begun to collapse completely. The Sentinels can no longer save anyone. Even after the Kami were wiped out, riots still broke out again and again."
They had sacrificed everything to save more people—to save Izumo. But if destruction was inevitable from the start—
Then what was the meaning of their sacrifice?
The Twelve Kami had all been slain, yet the promised future never came.
Many had begun to waver in their beliefs. Some gave in to despair. Others vented their anger on those trying to escape.
And then there were the few—numb, unyielding, still following orders, clinging to the fragile thread of order.
Listening to Sirin, Kiana's heart grew heavier. All she could do was mutter a dry apology.
"It's not your fault."
Sirin gave her a strange look. "The Honkai only sped up what was already bound to happen. Everyone keeps saying it's a shame there wasn't enough time. The researchers never managed to discover anything useful."
"Really no other price?" Sirin asked again, unable to hold back.
"That price is already heavy enough."
"I don't think so."
Sirin shook her head. "When do we retreat?"
"You're not going to ask how I plan to do it?"
"Whatever you're planning—right now, all I can do is trust you, isn't that so?"
I only saved you from the Imaginary Space once, after all.
Kiana felt a pang in her heart.
The weight of that trust—it made her feel like she was betraying Sirin's pure faith in her.
She couldn't do better than this.
"I want you to take Mei with you."
"Raiden Mei?"
Sirin looked surprised.
"Yes."
Kiana nodded seriously. "I want you to take Mei away from Izumo."
Sirin hesitated. "You haven't told her yet, have you? Are you sure she'll come with me?"
"I'm not sure I can convince her."
"And you think I can?"
Sirin was speechless. She didn't think she had that kind of persuasive power.
"We can do this instead..."
...
A month later.
The blood-red core was stripped away.
A flash of razor-sharp lightning tore apart the near-unrecognizable creature in an instant.
Another Herrscher—defeated.
This was already the third Herrscher they had encountered. The Kami had all been slain, yet the disasters on Izumo only grew more frequent.
They were drawing closer and closer to that blinding black sun.
"Kiana, you've probably heard—they're planning to abandon Izumo and go in search of a new habitable planet, right?"
Accepting the crimson Herrscher Core, Kiana nodded. "Sirin mentioned something like that before."
Mei looked at her quietly for a moment, then said, "Sirin invited us to join the Project Ark."
As the last flame of Izumo, they would abandon this planet fated to be consumed by Nihility and seek a new world where they could rebuild.
"The Project Ark?"
Kiana was surprised.
They actually gave it a name like that?
"Everyone's been working on it for some time now. After learning the truth from Takamagahara, people fell into despair..."
"And what do you think, Mei?"
"Me?"
Mei gripped the hilt of her blade tightly, taking a deep breath before closing her eyes. "I don't know."
There was fierce unwillingness in her heart.
But in the face of all this, she was powerless.
"Do you want to stay, or leave, Mei?"
Mei fell silent. She wanted to stay—but what meaning was there in staying, except to burden Kiana?
"...Defending Izumo to the death has no meaning anymore."
Kiana nodded.
"Then let's join Sirin's Project Ark together. Let's leave this world and find a new home."
To abandon their homeland?
Mei's heart wavered with confusion, but at this point, what else could they do?
She still couldn't quite accept how sudden Sirin and the others' decision had been. She hadn't expected them to come up with something like the Project Ark.
But in the face of certain death—
To preserve even a single spark of life was already a blessing amidst misfortune.
"Did Sirin tell you when?"
"...Everything's ready. They plan to launch in three days."
"Three days, huh. That's soon."
"This world's becoming more dangerous by the day. If we wait any longer, even taking off will be impossible."
Monsters as terrifying as Kami appeared one after another, their nature complex and strange. They kept fighting, kept slaying, but it was all in vain—a drop in the ocean.
There were hardly any survivors left in this world.
"You're right."
Kiana nodded. "Let's go see Sirin—maybe there's something we can help with."
"...Alright."
Was Kiana's reaction too calm? Or... no matter what she chose, did Kiana always trust her completely?
For a brief moment, Mei was unsure—but the thought quickly passed.
Kiana hadn't told her anything.
Because if Mei knew—if she insisted on staying—Kiana was afraid she wouldn't be able to leave.
If all went smoothly, then there'd be nothing to say. But if not—
When she lost her sanity, she wouldn't care who stood before her.
Most likely, she would wipe the surface clean with her own power.
If Mei didn't die to Nihility but at the hands of her Final Herrscher form—
Kiana would truly lose her mind.
...
Three days later.
Everything was ready. All data had been backed up. The Ark of Hope finally broke through the atmosphere, leaving behind the planet that was about to be swallowed by darkness.
However—
"Where's Kiana?"
Raiden Mei finally sensed something was wrong, but it was already too late. The fear of not finding her sparked panic, and unable to restrain herself, she grabbed Sirin by the arm. "She said she was going to find you—so why isn't she here now?!"
She had still been there when they boarded the Ark.
But now—no matter how they searched—she was gone.
"...Let go."
Sirin's tone was colder than ever. She tried to push Mei's hand away.
Many had chosen not to board the Ark—Himeko, Yae Sakura, even Welt, and the recently acquainted White-Haired Oni.
All the people she knew had refused to leave.
But she couldn't stay behind and be buried with Izumo.
Because the Ark needed her power. Only she could wield the Edict Edge of Sky. Only she could return Kiana to Izumo once the Ark had left its orbit.
The Ark also needed a leader.
"Tell me first—what are you all hiding from me?!"
Mei refused to let go, her voice trembling with anger and fear. She had already realized something was terribly wrong.
Something was off about the Project Ark. The others' refusal to board. Kiana's disappearance.
"Where is Kiana?!"
Her breathing grew uneven. Her hands shook. But deep down, she still clung to a fragile hope—that maybe she was wrong.
Where were they?
Sirin turned her head and looked through the transparent window at the planet below. That was Izumo—the homeland they were about to lose forever.
"She's..."
Her words never finished.
Because the planet outside suddenly twisted in space. Even the Ark itself nearly got caught in the gravitational distortion. From her position, she could clearly see dense blackness engulfing the entire world—Izumo sinking into an abyss without end.
Then, a blinding golden light erupted.
It broke through the darkness for an instant—but endless black surged forth from Nihility, smothering the light again. From where they stood, Izumo grew more distorted, more chaotic, as though dissolving.
Gold and black clashed like waves across the planet's surface, neither yielding to the other. A terrifying energy filled the void, devouring and suppressing in a delicate balance.
Izumo had become like a black hole. The golden and violet-black forces alternated in expansion and contraction, making the planet seem almost alive—like it was breathing.
The Ark, which had planned to hover nearby for observation, immediately changed course after witnessing Izumo's transformation. It accelerated away—from Izumo, from Takamagahara, and from the black sun that loomed over them.
"Izumo!"
Raiden Mei's reaction, along with the strange changes in the planet, made everything clear. In disbelief, she released Sirin's arm and turned toward the world now swallowed completely by Nihility.
The sight struck her like a heavy blow to the chest.
Her breath caught. Her vision darkened. She nearly collapsed, clutching the window for support, unable to speak.
Izumo...
Kiana... was still on Izumo?
That golden light struggling against the black fog...
She remembered what Kiana had once said—words she hadn't taken seriously. That maybe there was still a way, that even if it meant blowing everything up, she'd find a solution, and not to underestimate her.
She had known Kiana had a desperate plan—but she hadn't imagined she would send her away, stay behind alone, and face it herself.
Her hand pressed harder against the glass as if trying to grasp something. Watching Izumo drift farther and farther away, her voice came out hoarse, trembling. "Kiana... Kiana's on Izumo, isn't she?"
"...She failed."
The light in Sirin's eyes dimmed completely. The last spark of hope within her was extinguished. From this moment on, this Ark would be the true vessel carrying the memory of Izumo's existence.
From this distance, seeing the full picture of Izumo, she already knew how Kiana's plan had ended.
Kiana, and everyone else...
They must have already—
Failed?!
Her vision went black, and all strength drained from her body.
No one understood better than she what failure in this situation meant.
Kiana's image appeared vividly before her eyes again—the memory of Kiana smiling, saying she had something to discuss with Sirin and to wait for her, still fresh in her mind.
The fear of losing Kiana made her entire body tremble. Staring at her twisted, dying homeland, only one thought filled her mind—one thing she absolutely had to do. Gritting her teeth, she shouted with unshakable resolve:
"I'm going back to Izumo!"
...
Half a system hour earlier.
[Honkai Energy Concentration (Izumo): 72.22% (↑)]
Looking at the rising number on the system display, Kiana nodded to herself.
Before, she had feared the Honkai energy concentration would become too high. Now, she only feared it wouldn't be high enough—not enough to reach one hundred percent.
"You shouldn't have stayed."
Everything was almost ready. Kiana closed the display panel and turned toward the group resting nearby.
"You've already decided we'll fail before we've even started?"
The White-Haired Oni opened his eyes, gazing out at the ruined world—one no longer suitable for human life.
As a survivor from over a millennium ago, he should have perished alongside his comrades in that era. But his hatred for the Kami had sustained him until now.
"I've devoted my entire life to saving this world. How could I miss its final battle?" said Welt.
"I didn't think that deeply about it."
Himeko, not a soldier but a woman of quiet resolve, looked out at Izumo and said softly, "Someone has to stay—a sinner—to face the final moment alongside them."
The Ark had carried away only a few thousand souls—the very limit of what they could build with all of Izumo's remaining resources.
Yet tens of thousands of survivors still remained: civilians, Sentinels who had fought Kami their entire lives, scientists, and even those who had been forcibly stopped from boarding the Ark.
Yae Sakura turned to Kiana. "You're the one who shouldn't be here."
"If I don't stay, who will try to grasp the last sliver of hope?"
Kiana smiled faintly, glancing toward the sky where the Ark could no longer be seen.
"If you have nothing else to say, then I'll begin."
Those meant to stay in the shelters had already gone below. Only Yae Sakura, Himeko, and a few others remained on the surface.
They had resolved not to enter the shelters—they wanted to witness it themselves. Kiana could no longer persuade them otherwise.
Each bore a Stigmata. As long as they stayed calm, the erosion wouldn't kill them instantly.
"Begin."
It was what they had agreed upon long ago: to seek life through death.
None of them could escape Nihility, no matter what they tried. So they had chosen to destroy all paths of retreat.
Better to die beneath the Honkai's power than to be swallowed by the void.
Kiana nodded to them, then began walking slowly toward the black sun. She couldn't draw closer to it—but she wanted to distance herself from Yae Sakura and the others.
With each step, her Herrscher transformation accelerated uncontrollably.
On the ravaged earth, she raised her head toward that pitch-black sun.
Her once-blue eyes were again dyed gold—but this was only the beginning. The power within her resonated with the entire world. Her body slowly lifted off the ground, rising toward the sky, as if preparing to face that dark sun head-on.
"This world bears the name of Honkai... how could it end without the Honkai's own appearance?"
Her golden eyes gleamed.
"Isn't that right... IX?"