Outside Yae Village, 2 Hours Later

Fu Hua approached the recently built campfire as she stepped out of the woods and into the clearing where Kiana and Higokumaru where resting. Kiana heard her arrival and turned to smile at the girl, before throwing a couple of branches into the fire to keep it fed.

«Did you find anything?» Kiana asked.

«Just a couple of zombies that needed to be dealt with. Other than that, there's no danger. We can rest for the night.»

«Higo's way ahead of you. She went to sleep about half an hour ago. She said eating those cookies made her feel sleepy. But I guess it's better than having her starve…»

«Kiana, she can't starve…» Fu Hua responded with a blank expression.

«That doesn't mean we shouldn't share our food with her!» Kiana exclaimed in a somewhat hushed tone.

«Honestly… We barely have enough to last until we reach another city for resupply. Do you honestly think letting her come with us was a good idea?» Fu Hua said as she sat down next to Kiana.

«…No… but it was the only way to get our hands on that sword. And besides, I don't see any reason not to let her. Other than the food part. But that's temporary-

«That's not what I mean. Whether you chose to ignore it or not she is dangerous. And she made it very clear that she's willing to fight us again if we do something she doesn't feel is right.»

«Well sure but-

«And you still haven't told me what you needed Jizo Mitama for. It's not like you're any good with swords. And I doubt you know how to use the Divine Key.»

Kiana sighed at the incoming barrage of questions before motioning for Fu Hua to slow down.

«Dear Class Monitor Fu Hua. It's story time!» the young Knight excitedly said before laying down on her back.

«Pardon?»

«Remember that one mission we had regarding the Xuanyuan Sword that possessed Auntie Himeko?»

«Yes. With great detail if I may add.»

«Good. Then you should also remember that you had me studying Divine Keys for a week after that for that stupid test.» Kiana said with a small pout and Fu Hua shrugged.

«If you knew even the basics then there would have been no need for that.»

«Right. Anyway. During that torturous week you told me that most, if not all of the Divine Keys are made of Soulium. Just like that sword was.»

«Indeed. Soulium is the prime material for containing Honkai Energy. I'm surprised you remembered.»

«Give me some credit at least…» Kiana said before Fu Hua's face seemingly brightened and her eyes lit up with excitement.

«I see! You intend to use the Divine Keys as a means of containing Honkai Energy!»

«Close. I intend to use the Divine Keys to steal Honkai Energy and then seal it.»

Fu Hua's jaw dropped at the statement and she shook her head in surprise.

"You had me there for a second, and then you lost me..."

"Huh?"

«This is either the smartest thing you've said, or the dumbest. Right now I don't have the necessary patience to deal with any of those options. We'll discuss this in the morning.»

«But-

«Goodnight Kiana!»

Kiana lowered her head in response before moving to get her sleeping bag as Fu Hua did the same. After a moment of preparation, she got in, but not before shooting one last glance at Fu Hua, who seemed to already be asleep. Sighing softly, Kiana closed her eyes as well.

«Human, do not rest yet. I have something to speak to you about.» Celine called out to the girl from within her subconsciousness and Kiana gave no response.

«…»

«…»

«I'm waiting…» she finally said softly. She really didn't want to wake everyone up.

«To be completely blunt-

«As if you haven't been already…»

«Your plan is stupid.»

«Gee thanks. Like any other plan would have been more acceptable.»

«You really have no idea what you are doing. I thought we had agreed on gathering my missing pieces. And since you and I share this body, I also know of your thoughts. You just came up with that plan you told the girl!»

«Oh just shut up already. You don't know anything. And even if I did just come up with that Soulium plan, you have to admit it's awesome.» Kiana defended.

«If by awesome, you mean it wouldn't work, then yes. Plus I know you got that sword for your precious little failure of a Herrscher... Which reminds me, she still has a part of my gem!» Celine exclaimed angrily and Kiana rolled her eyes.

«You're really pissed off about that when you don't even have the other two gems. One is in Schicksal's hands and the other was with Auntie Himeko. At least that's what you said before.»

«Even a small fragment from my piece would prevent their merging if it went missing. That is why we need to retrieve it.»

«There you go again talking about merging and stuff. I've told you already. We're getting the gems so that Otto can't have them. It doesn't mean I'd let you merge them either…»

«And I've told you already. There is no place you can hide them where that man won't find them. Unless of course, I use them to destroy him.»

«Yeah, and the rest of Humanity along with him. Not happening. Sorry, not sorry.»

«Hmph, unless you find a way to kill him on your own, there is no chance he won't find them. You may as well give him the ones you have right now.»

«Whatever you say, I don't care. I'm getting those gems and I'll find a way to stop Otto. And the more Divine Keys we can prevent from falling into his hands, the better. You just keep worrying about yourself, like you always do. It's the only thing you've ever been good at anyway.» Kiana shot back, scoffing at Celine's remark. After a moment of silence though, she received an answer that was completely unexpected.

«You don't know anything about me…»

Kiana was shocked. She tried to respond and deny that claim. But she couldn't. And what reason did she have to know anything about the monster behind the 2nd Honkai Outbreak? That thing had caused so much pain and misery to so many people, including herself. She really had no reason to know or even care to learn.

She didn't know and she didn't need to know. So what was it that drove her to say those next few words?

«I'd like to find out.»

She heard Celine gasp, but other than that, no response followed that statement.

Perhaps it was her Kaslana blood that drove her to this outcome. Refusing to let her ignore someone who seemed to be, if nothing else, distraught.

It could even be her own genuine curiosity. After all, she couldn't have been a Herrscher all of her life. She must have had at least a couple of experience worth sharing, right?

She guessed it didn't matter much if Celine didn't want to say anything. If she wanted to be like that then-

«Do you really want to know?»

Kiana's eyes widened as the voice inside her head spoke once more. Had she heard that correctly? Could it really be so easy? This had to be a joke, and yet…

«If you want to…»

«…»

«…»

«…Very well…»

Kiana's subconsciousness then instantly materialized an open field inside her mind. There she stood, in front of the purple-haired girl called Celine.

Kiana looked around the beautiful grass field that they stood in as the flowers that were planted all around them lit up and illuminated everything around the two girls.

The Herrscher's golden eyes inspected Kiana for a long while before turning to look at the flowers.

«This place has served as a means to entertain myself for many years. It has been here ever since I first entered this body. It will be enough to help visualize these memories…» Celine exclaimed calmly. The terrain then shifted and turned to form steel walls and floors in place of the green fields and the dark skies they previously stood in.

«This is Babylon Labs, Siberia…» Kiana said as she examined the area and Celine nodded.

«You know of what happened here all those years ago. But you don't know what happened before those Valkyries came here…»

Celine then motioned for Kiana to follow her as she led the girl through the halls of the lab. Eventually they reached their destination.

«Holding Cells?» Kiana asked and Celine nodded once more.

«For test subjects. Like me and the other girls. For days, weeks, months on end they'd use us. Throwing away so many lives all for the betterment of their precious research. And the catalyst of it all, that reactor over there.» Celine pointed at the Honkai Reactor that stood proudly next to the Holding Cells, glowing brightly with energy as scientists tested and calibrated machinery all around the room. Just then, a couple of them approached the two girls, however, they simply walked right passed them, moving towards one of the cells behind them.

«Get ready for it. We don't know how this one will react…» one scientist said to the other as he handed him a large needle. He then used his keys to unlock the girl's cell before calling out to her.

«Good morning Belle. I hope that you're feeling well rested.» the man said ominously and the now awake girl known as Belle, immediately realised her position. Her eyes widened and tears fell from her eyes before she started to panic, taking harsh breaths in a desperate attempt to calm herself, to no avail.

«No, no no no no you can't make me! I won't be of any help to you!» the small girl pleaded desperately and one of the scientists grinned.

«We won't know that until we try. Isn't that right, sweetie?» he said as he took her arm and led her out of the cell.

The moment she was out of the cell she tried to run, but the man's grip was too strong and Belle could not free herself. Seeing that she was out of options, the girl then latched on to the bars of the cell next to hers with all her might, screaming and shouting.

«No! NO! CELINE! PLEASE DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME! PLEASE!»

«Oh shut up!» the scientist that still held on to Belle then struck her face with a backhanded slap, making her fall to the ground and let go of the bars as the other scientist then moved to sedate the girl with the syringe. The man then carried her away, leaving behind the other scientist to clean up the mess.

While he was doing just that, he heard a knock coming from the cell the girl had been holding on to for dear life, and he moved closer to it.

A small figure then emerged from the shadows as the purple-haired girl behind those bars inched closer to the man's face and warned.

«Go and make sure she is alright, or you die…»

Her gold orbs pierced through the man's soul and he was frozen in fear. After a moment, he snapped out of it and rushed towards the room they had taken the girl to.

Kiana looked horrified by the whole thing while Celine looked… pleased. If Kiana had to guess, it probably had something to do with how she handled that scientist.

«And they did this every day?»

«They sure did. They examined, beat, tortured and cut open girls for way too long. That is, until I killed them all.» Celine exclaimed proudly and Kiana turned to her.

«Doesn't that make you just as good as them?»

«Of course not. They did it for as long as it was convenient to them. I did it for revenge.»

The room they were in started to shift again, the metal walls turning into ancient ruins and the sky was…

«What is this place?»

«We are on the Far Side of the Moon, in an ancient temple left behind by the Previous Era. Here is where I met God, after my escape from Siberia.»

«You met... God?» Kiana asked in disbelief.

«The four Gems, the pieces of me that were split and scattered throughout the world, originally belonged to another Herrscher. A disciple of God from the Previous Era that laid waste to this world and started anew. It was here that I was reborn. The friends I had from my previous life, were now nothing but tools I could use to tap into the enormous power of God. And it was with this power that I attempted to destroy the so-called 'Humanity' that had taken everything from me. It is the fate of this world, to be destroyed and remade anew each time. With each cycle, God perfects her project, until a successful world has been made. A world without hate, without pain, without sickness or death. A perfect reality for everyone.» Celine explained as Kiana listened intently.

«It honestly sounds too good to be true. And to think you've suffered for so long from such a young age, only for something you may not even see until your final moments. I have to say, it's a lot to take in…»

«So, now you understand. The reason I need to get my missing pieces. I don't intend to simply destroy Humanity. I'll be rebuilding it into something it could never be. And you can help me do so!»

«Tell you what. We can both agree that the biggest obstacle in the road for peace is Otto Apocalypse. You help me kill him and we get the gems back. If the world remains hell-bent on destroying itself, then I'll gladly help you back. All I ask is that you give it some time. I know you've suffered, but there's still good in this world. We can make a dream world a reality if we try hard enough. So what do you say? Truce?»

Kiana offered her hand to Celine as the purple-haired girl took a moment to process things. After a while of looking between the offered hand and the girl, she cautiously responded in turn, shaking the young Knight's hand.

«You see? That wasn't so hard? We might even come to be friends one day!» Kiana said grinning and Celine scoffed.

«Unlikely. But a truce is… nice, I guess…»

Kiana smiled even wider and Celine cracked a small smile in return.

"A truce also means no 'trying to possess' me whenever you can y'know. Just to be clear." Kiana warned with an awkward smile.

«Fine then. You go rest I guess, while I'll be formulating a plan that's… satisfactory to all parties. What do you say?»

«You got it!» the girl saluted the Herrscher comically before turning around in preparation to leave this subconscious dimension of hers.

«Hey Celine?» she called out once more before leaving and the Herrscher turned her head in question.

«If you ever need anyone to talk, about anything, I'm a good listener. Just saying.»

And with that, Kiana disappeared from the mind-space, leaving a stunned Celine behind.

«I'll… keep that in mind…»