Prologue-Past_and_Present
Kiana spun to the side as Durandal race by on Krishna. Durandal ready the divide key, [Black Abyss], as she kick off Krishna and into the air. Durandal narrows her eyes and launches the lance as a sonic boom follows. The lance pierce into Otto armor, pinning him on the pillar as creaks form on the pillar.
Kiana didn't hesitate to take the chance as she stabs her Greatsword into the floor and with the other hand reaching toward Otto. The Core of the Void readily answers its master. Space bended around Otto as a singularity begin to form inside of Otto. Orange winds whipped around [The False God] as the Quantum energy inside him twisted and turned, crushing the 'God' from the inside. Had Otto been a normal human, he would have fallen in second from a singularity forming inside of them.
Otto, however, has always been far beyond 'just a human'.
Otto smirks as Kiana furious eyes met his even as the singularity was pulling at him. His hand moved against the gravitational pull inside him and attempted to push out the divide key. The singularity began to slow as Kiana felt like she was being pushed back by the ocean currents, threatening to overwhelm and drown her.
Raw frustration and rage fills Kiana's mind as her vision turns red.
Kiana refuses. Kiana refuses to fail here, to fail after all the sacrifice, all the effort, all the pain…Not now, not when the man who was responsible for all of it was right here. Kiana gritted her teeth as all the years of frustration and anger spilled out.
"This is for Mother, Father, Himeko-sensei, Fu hua, Theresa…This is for all of them!"
The currents were pushed back and the laws of infinite and finite were forcefully swapped momentarily as the power of the void exploded.
Both Kiana and Durandal were blinded by the explosion of light as the very foundation of Otto's mind-space shook. The light subsided a second later to reveal Otto had disappeared, a crater on the gold pillar was all that was left. The foreign pressure of the [False God] slowly left from the space, returning to the [Imaginary tree] along with its wielder.
Kiana took a steady breath as she felt her body ache from overusing the Herrscher cores. The cores felt like they were burning in Kiana's body as she could already feel her legs nearly giving away to exhaustion, it was only thanks to the Greatsword that Kiana used as a crutch that allowed her to stay upright. A hand gently lay on her shoulder.
"Are you alright, Kiana."
Kiana blinks and looks up to find Durandal staring at her with concern. Her white riding dress had dozens of scorch marks and tears. Her blonde hair was untidy and messy. She had a weary expression that perhaps mirrored Kiana's own. Her steed, If Kiana remembers right, Krishna, seems to have dematerialized and returned to wherever it came from.
Perhaps it had something to do with Durandal's [STIGMA], Kiana wondered.
"I'm fine, just a bit tired. I never used the void powers to that extent."
(And all the power that Mei-Senpai gave me is gone as well…)
It was lucky that the fight had ended as it did. Kiana had doubted even she and Durandal could have lasted any longer. Kiana would have grumbled slightly if she wasn't so exhausted. Bianka gave a soft laugh and looked around at the slowly collapsing space.
"We will have to thank Nagamitsu for her advice once we get back. It could have gone far differently if she hadn't told us."
"Yea, it was a big help. I probably wouldn't have guessed to try something like [Imaginary Renormalization]…"
The space started to break apart around them as the landscape swayed like an illusion. Kiana felt the space start to return to reality as they began to be pulled out of the mind-space. Kiana let out a relieved sign as her body began to relax.
(We are going home.)
Yet, Kiana should have known with her luck, it was never that easy.
Suddenly, the relieved feeling was dash away as Kiana felt a chill run across her body. The cores seemed to almost scream in alarm as Kiana froze. The warning from the cores and Kiana survival instinct overwhelmed her body freezing her in place.
Durandal immediately took on a tense stance. Her blue eyes sharpened as a black armor materialized over her white dress. The black lance was clutch in Durandal claw hand, readied. Whether it was because Durandal had noticed Kiana froze suddenly or something else, Kiana didn't know nor did she have the time to think about it.
Something enters the mind-space as purple threads of Honkai erosion form on the structures, corrupting the space. the air of the space prick Kiana skin as Honkai energy fills every last space of the area.
It was almost suffocating.
The space behind Kiana bends and pulls on them as a singularity form. Golden pillars that had stood tall in their fight with Otto collapsed and were pulled into the purple abyss as others turned to dust by the honkai corruption.
Kiana grip the Greatsword tighter as the gravitational force of the singularity pulls at her. Kiana void shield block most of the force of the black hole.
"Kiana!"
"Durandal!"
Kiana turns at the same time the ground around the Durandal lance creaks and breaks. The lance was pulled into the singularity as Durandal claws hand bore into the floor, attempting to stop the pull of gravity. That too, was for not.
The ground tore apart a second later, pulling the Valkyrie into the singularity before Kiana could even reach out.
Kiana greatsword begins to shake as the ground beneath it breaks apart. Kiana clenched her teeth as she fought against the winds and the singularity. Creak started to form on the void shield as the winds and gravitational force of the black hole double in it intensity.
(I'm a Herrscher, dammit! I will not lose to this.)
The [Core Of Void] flared up with power at Kiana command. She pushes back at the unseen power that tries to pull her back. The winds die down as Kiana catches her bearings, yet, just as quickly, the wind suddenly pushes back against Kiana with even more vigor. Sweet ran down her body as the strain of using the core piled up.
Kiana pulls on all her remaining Herrscher energy and reaches out for the source of the distortion power.
It was at the moment that Kiana 'touched' the source that she felt it. A sea of Honkai energy that nearly overwhelmed her, rushed against her. Washing over her and pushes and pulls against her will as if she were a leaf in a storm. It was unquantifiable and endless. Kiana had felt this same power just moment before with her fight with Otto. Yet…No matter how powerful and overwhelming Otto had been, he was still a human.
This power felt different. It felt more...Complete. The space around Kiana was suddenly consumed as a white space spread out in front of Kiana.
And from that white space, something appeared in front of her.
The thing had a grayish figure, the same color as the space around them. It had short hair and eyepatch covering its left eye. Kiana felt her stomach drop as she realized what it remind her. Or rather in this case, who it reminded her of.
(It looked just like me when I was still with the old man…)
The thing eyes lock into Kiana's own, and for just a moment, Kiana felt as if it were smiling.
The white space vanishes as quickly as it had appeared as Kiana's control over the cores seemed to snap. Something forcing Kiana aside as it took over.
The raging wind doubled their efforts as the Flamescion greatsword and void shield dematerialized with Kiana lost of the Herrscher's cores. The gravitational pull on her, as if dozens of hands was taking ahold of her, pulled her to the singularity. The world was consumed in darkness as Kiana was pulled into the singularity. Just as Kiana fell into the well of gravity, she saw a shadow form behind the gray being. Its gray eyes look over Kiana was the last thing she saw before the darkness overcame her.
When Kiana consciousness slowly came back, the first thing she became aware of was the voices whispering around her.
"Fu...She...ing up..."
Kiana groans as she tries to move. A hand laid on her shoulder, pushing Kiana back. Kiana opened her eyes and saw that she was now on a small bed. The room around her had white walls and two other beds. White light shone down from the light bulb above. A desk was to her side, on top were a cup of water. Overall, the room wasn't anything special, it looked like a room from hotels that she would occasionally stay at on her travels to search for the old man.
A small tan-skinned girl was standing above Kiana with wide eyes. The girl is stiff for a moment as her eyes locks with Kiana before shouting.
"You're awake! Thank goodness, hey Hua, she's awake!"
Kiana winces as pain shot through her head. The girl covers her mouth with both hands and apologizes after noticing Kiana's pain.
"Ah, I'm sorry, didn't mean to be so loud…"
"It's fine. My hearing is off a little is all. Just…Give me a second."
Kiana waves off the girl apologizes with a strain smile. Kiana put her hand on her head, trying to recall why she was here in the first place.
'...Now that I think about it, what was going on before? I remember going to Kolosten with Hyperion and fighting against…someone?'
An voice all too familiar to Kiana interrupted her thoughts came from the door across from her. The door let out a soft click as the door handle turn open. A dark blue-haired woman dresses in a familiar blue student uniform walk into the room. Her azure eyes look at Kiana with a hint of nervousness along with relief.
"Thank goodness. I had though we would need to call a doctor for a moment..."
Kiana's mind cuts off as she suddenly remembers everything that had happened, from arriving at Kolosten, meeting Mei in that white space, fighting Otto with Durandal. Kiana felt a chill claw through her body as Kiana remembered the white look alike of herself in the white space.
(So that was the [Will Of The Honkai] Mei was talking about…)
Kiana grim before shaking it off. That wasn't important right now. Kiana pushes away the bed cover and locks eyes with Fu hua.
"Fu hua, you're alright, then did you beat the #2 Valkyrie? What happened after we defected Otto, is Durandal ok? Where are we, the Hyperion?"
"Fu hua" body stiff as Kiana bomb her with questions. The young, tan-skinned girl blinked in surprise and turned toward Fu hua with surprise.
"...Fu Hua? Hey Hua, is "Fu hua" a nickname that you didn't talk me or something? Anyways, you know this person?"
Kiana noticed Fu hua frozen up and the confusion in her eyes azure color eyes. Fu Hua shook her head and looked away from Kiana as she spoke timidly.
"...I'm sorry Miss, but you must have mistaken me for someone else."
Kiana froze. yet it was the look on Fu hua eyes that made Kiana heart drop. It was eyes that was looking at a stranger. Kiana took a small, shaking, breath. Dozens of thoughts ran through her head before Kiana spoke.
"...He-hey Fu hua, this isn't time for bad jokes."
Kiana's hopes were crushed as Fu hua refused to look into her eyes. And for the first time since Kiana was abandoned in those icy Tundra's, Kiana felt truly, confused and lost.