Chapter 1: Dies Ludicii
Standing on the surface of the moon. There lies a stage where the crucial moment of the Day of Judgement would be enacted. On their last breaths two of the strongest being clashed.
A being which represents the final spark of humanity stood her ground. Her body battered with cuts and bruises, Ribs broken into pieces yet her will stands firm. With one deep breath she lifted up her great sword and lit it ablaze once more. Her light blue eyes lay firmly on her enemy.
Another being which represents the great barrier of extinction. Clad in white and gold, her majestic attire was unfortunately sullied by dirt, blood and burns. The malevolent goddess glared back at the human who dared to challenge her authority and damage her divine vessel.
The two exchange glances, There's nothing that could be done to change this fateful day. The human warrior merely looks at her enemy with pity as her white hair flows freely with the wind. An influx of emotions stirred within the goddess's heart, Irritation, Anger, but strangely satisfaction and sadness as well.
Her golden hair with a white gradient on the end reminded the human warrior of a certain someone. Though she knows that anything else would be futile as she had tried it many times before this final confrontation.
"Bianka- No… Kiana Kaslana, I'm sorry." The human warrior bit her lip. Her heart felt heavy, she knows what she needs to do. But naively she hoped that the two could still fight together again like before. Fighting against the embodiment of destruction and chaos that is the Honkai. Together as sisters in arms and sisters by blood.
"…You know. I would've been happier to give this name back to you. You should've told me earlier instead of keeping it to yourself." The human warrior speaks with her heart. Oh she wishes that she could revisit those days again.
"I'm fine with being called Sirin or whatever! You idiot older sister!" The dam that was keeping all her emotions finally breaks. As her emotions pour out from her heart into her tears.
"I- I don't want this. P-Please just fight with me again Bianka!. Why do we have to end it like this!?" Herrscher of Flamescion grits her teeth. Her soul cannot falter, Her body cannot break down or else more blood would fall on the goddess's hand.
This world isn't fair and she knows that. Her friends are all injured as they once tried to save the vessel in front of her. As the last person standing she couldn't let those warriors' efforts to defeat the almighty Herrscher of the end be in vain.
"So-Sorry. With whatever control her sister had left. The once great Valkyrie of Schicksal decided to use it to soothe her sister. Even if they were not born in the same womb they still have the same blood flowing within them.
"Y- You can… d- do it. Sister. " A small smile flashed on the goddess's lips before her expression changed back into irritation. "Bianka…" The warrior nods as she steeled her resolve. At least she could put her sister at ease. She wouldn't have to regret her actions anymore.
"Sis. We'll be in this together right?" As her expression softens. The warrior with all her might pushes all of her last remaining strength into her legs as she lunges at her opponent faster than a speeding bullet.
"Y-yeah."
Bianka could only hold her own movement for so long, The blonde haired woman braced herself for the final time. Yet her reaper never came. What came after surprised even the likes of the goddess herself.
"I told you that we'd be in this together." The girl smiled, " Sorry but I've prepared another plan." Kiana embraced her sister's body so tightly that she wouldn't escape as the force of inertia flung the goddess alongside the warrior. Light began to envelop them both and symbols light up all over their body. At last the day of Judgement would come to an end.
As her older sister, Bianka wanted her younger sibling to live a good life. Yet this girl chose to stay with her until the very end. 'Haah now this is nostalgic isn't it?' Those were Bianka's thoughts as she remembered the time where she would sacrifice herself to save K-423 with her father.
Kiana had successfully activated the seal that was previously set up there by Kevin before he sacrificed himself before this final battle to greatly weaken the final Herrscher. The seal that would trap both of them and most of the Honkai in this desolate place for all eternity.
Kiana wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of killing her own sister if she did what Bianka had requested. It is an option that she could never take. She already took her name and identity away from her.
Lived a life that her sister should've lived and more importantly received the love and warmth that her sister should've gotten from her own father. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she took another important aspect of her life away from her.
And so this is the one and only option that Kiana could ever agree upon. "I'm sorry for being a little selfish but… Mei, Bronya, move on. Thank you Kevin for giving me another option." With a smile the two being covered in light slowly dissolved as the golden stigmata that appeared in the sky withers away.
The Honkai all dissolved into a ray of purple light as it all flew upwards towards the moon. The day of judgement had come to its finishing act as a new seal appeared on the surface of the moon.
After all the death and destruction Humanity had endured they finally won.
And thus the everlasting battle between destruction and survival ended on this very day. December 7 2017, marks the day where everyone can gather around and celebrate. A new chapter in humanity's autobiography can finally start.
But little do everyone that was left on earth know that Her journey and her story hasn't ended quite yet. Her story will continue in a different place, a different life, and a different day. Her story on the day of wrath had just begun.
"Kiana… Wake up!" A certain white haired girl grumbled at the call of her name.
"Kiana!" A slap landed on the girl's face. It's surprisingly effective as the white haired girl jolts from her bed.
"O-Ow…Nee san it hurts!" Kiana rubbed her reddened face. Truly a normal day in the Kaslana household, Her sister huffed she's already dressed up in her school uniform alongside an apron on the front. A sweet fragrant smell of cooked eggs and bacon already permeates through Kiana's room as the girl leaves her bed to stand on her own two feet.
"That's your own fault for not waking up after I called you 5 times! I told you to not play games all night." Her older sister sigh. Her blonde hair is let loose this time around, usually she would tie them up into a ponytail whenever they're going to school though it's not uncommon for her to have a change of heart like this.
"Hurry up… And take a bath."
"Fine, fine." Kiana tried to brush her messy hair first but her sister is having none of it. Bianka swings another slap this time to her rear.
"Agh! HEY! I get it, I get it! Leave me alone already, that hurts you know!" The younger Kaslana grumbles, not wanting to invoke the wrath of her older sister again, she takes the nearby towel and head into the bathroom immediately.
Kiana let out a frustrated sigh as she closed the bathroom door behind her. "Stupid Nee san at least let me brush my hair."
As Kiana prepared the bathtub for herself. She began to strip herself off her clothes.
"Hm?" She felt something was off just as she was taking off her pants. Taking out that item she felt out of her pocket she found none other than a smartphone.
"A phone? This isn't mine, how and when did it get here?" She puts the phone away first on the sink's counter as she sheds the rest of her clothes away, showing off all of her curves as well as her smooth and porcelain skin. She dips her hand into the filled tub just as she confirmed her bathtub to be ready for use, She takes the new phone along with her.
Slowly she dips her entire body into the warm waters of the tub. "Ahh~. Finally hm is this playing a game's credit screen?" Leaving only her head and a bit of the arm that was holding the phone, Kiana couldn't help but to watch the credit scene as she took a bath.
The phone itself turns out to be waterproof when she accidentally drops it into the bath due to the slipperiness of her skin when she is scrubbing her body with soap. Fortunately she didn't slip and fall herself. "Oh thank god this is water proof." Kiana let out a sigh of relief and continued to watch it until the final text appeared.
THANK YOU FOR PLAYING HONKAI IMPACT 3RD!
"What? I never heard of that game befo- ARGH!" The white haired teenager screams as flashes of imagery appear in her head all at once. Flashes of memories, dreams and suffering of that one warrior of humanity all flooded her brain, The memory of a person with the same name down their last moment.
The memory of Kiana Kaslana, the Herrscher of Flamescion started flowing into her head right after the credits ended.
"AAAAAAAAAA." The girl screamed as she held her head. It felt like it was going to explode at any given moment. So why does she feel like she wouldn't die from something like this?
Why does she feel like she knew it would happen? That's right, why did Kiana even watch the phone in the first place? The girl couldn't answer that.
Perhaps it was foreknowledge that made her know all that was about to happen instinctively. She had a feeling that this was that phenomenon.
"Kiana!" Bianka rushed into the bathroom. She was in shock to see her sister screaming in agony as blood dripped out of her ears, nose and even the corner of her eyes and lips.
"Ho-Hold on!" The older sister carried her out of the bathtub. She covered the poor girl in her bathroom towel before bringing her back to her room where she helped Kiana to put on her clothes.
"…Your forehead is burning." Bianka put her hand on her sister's forehead to confirm if she's sick or not. "N-nee san."
"Shh don't talk Kiana just rest. I'll bring you your food." Bianka sighs 'What exactly happened? I didn't hit her too hard did i?' As her mind was filled with worries. They may not share the same blood but they're still family no matter what anyone says.
The Kaslana family have generously adopted her since she was young and Kiana has always been her younger sister even if they don't get along sometimes. No matter how much they argue, the two sister's bond was deeper than anyone could really envision even Kiana's parents didn't expect how close the two would eventually get.
Bianka was thankful for that. "Here Kiana, open your mouth." The blond girl began to spoonfed her younger sibling. "N-Nee san you have school."
"Worry about yourself first." Bianka's expression hardens as she fed her sister her breakfast. "I can tell the teacher that you suddenly fell ill and I had to take care of you." She sigh. "Sometimes you're a handful you know that?"
"Hehe." Kiana laughs weakly. "Thanks Nee san."
"I thought you would've been more stubborn. Did you hit your head?"
"Didn't you hit my head this morning?"
"It's on your face."
"Still counts as part of my head."
"You…Fine." Bianka's expression relaxed a little. Seeing her sister still being able to argue like this, calms her down. She's probably going to be fine.
"Nee san."
"Yes?"
"Come here." Kiana raised her arms as if she's inviting her for a hug. "Just don't ask questions." The girl looks embarrassed, both of them couldn't believe it either.
"Okay." Bianka puts the plate she was holding away on the table beside her and lays down on her sister's bed with her as Kiana pulls her into a hug. Bianka could feel how hot Kiana's body was at the moment. It made her worry about what really caused her sister to suddenly have a high fever.
"Thank you." Bianka doesn't understand why Kiana looks so sad whenever she looks at her but the girl decided not to ask. Though for Kiana it's as if she just remembered her past life.
It doesn't seem to conflict with her current memories, fortunately. She is still herself even if she remembers all of KIANA's hardships. The white haired girl smiles, this time she would keep her precious idiot sister close to her side.
"…You should eat more Kiana."
"Just a little longer." Bianka sighs at her sister's spoiled behavior. Well this is still a lot better than to see her cry or writhe from pain. If she could ease the pain her sister is experiencing, Bianka would do it and Bianka knows her sister would do the same if the situation was reversed.
"Kiana?" The blond girl released her grip on her sister and saw that she had fallen asleep already.
"…Geez." Bianka gets out of her sister's bed and rolls her under a warm blanket. Bianka Ataegina pulls up her phone and messages her home room teacher about her circumstances while of course taking pictures of the evidence as per school regulations.
"We should visit a doctor soon if things take a turn for the worst." She finally left her sister's room and decided to watch some TV instead while she waited for her sister to recover.
"On today's news an exhibit in the local blade museum was found missing, what strange is that the blade that was missing was the authentic replica of the guillotine used in the French revolution, Bois de justice. It appears to be the only blade that was missing from the exhibit."
"This city is getting weirder and weirder." Bianka decided to watch some other stuff instead of the news. It's already weird enough that a thief would just steal a heavy guillotine blade instead of some other sword that is more expensive.
"Is it really just a replica? When I visited that place before, it looked too real for it to be a replica." Bianka muttered. The girl decided to abandon that useless thought. Besides, she wouldn't be able to get any answers no matter how hard she brainstormed every possibility.
…
…
In a void and empty throne room there sat a person donned in a tattered black robe. He emits a faint light greenish aura around him and his blue eyes emit the total darkness that the man is currently in.
Defying any laws of physics the man emits its own light without any other sources. He stares at the floating chess board in front of him, emitting the same dim light as him. All of his pieces were in place and yet a new piece randomly appeared on the board that he was arranging.
It was neither a black piece nor was it a white piece. A chess equivalent of a joker card has appeared on his board.
He wasn't annoyed nor was he satisfied. The man simply laughs a maniacal cackle. He laughs and laughs as if this was a very funny occurrence.
He sought for the unknown as the man was cursed with foreknowledge in his eternally repeated world of his. At long last his yearning for the unknown might finally be fulfilled. The man is ecstatic on what this new unknown variable would do, what chaos would it ensue to his delicately crafted plan.
"Dominus Selene, Oh what a beautiful flower you're. I crafted this world for my beautiful flower Marguerite and yet you suddenly bloom in the time Zarathustra is about to be born into this world. Oh moon goddess may you bless us with your shining grace. I hope this stage of mine is of your liking. Dominus Selene, we await your answer." The man smiled.
For the first time he had started to garner interest. He would hope that this new variable wouldn't be so.
Disappointing.
-Gasp-
When Kiana wakes up the sun is already at its highest. Cold sweats drip down her forehead. She could feel her skin crawling.
"What was that?" She could've sworn she was dreaming about a man talking about something. It felt too real to be a dream, was it a memory? No, she never met the man before. She didn't even see his face yet for some reason she felt like she knew him.
"Kiana! You're awake." Bianka lets out a sigh of relief as she enters her room carrying a bowl of chicken soup with her.
"Sorry to make you worry eheheh." Kiana chuckles. The girl slowly gets up from her bed and sits. "Say Nee san how long was I asleep?"
"Hmm let's see. About 28 hours?" Bianka sat down beside her sister. No wonder Bianka looked so worried.
"N-Nee san I can eat it by myself."
"No. You're still a patient now, open your mouth." Bianka insisted as she brought a spoon full of chicken broth and a piece of steamed chicken in front of Kiana's face.
"Damnit I'm not a- HMPH!"
"Quit your whining. At least think about your sister." Reluctantly Kiana gave in into Bianka's demands.
"Next time don't shove a spoon into my mouth like that!" Kiana grumbles.
"Then next time you do as I say. A patient should rest."
"Ugh, fine~. Least I don't have to go to school."
Suddenly the TV in Kiana's room changed channels to broadcast the news. Bianka did turn the TV on but she didn't put on the news when she stayed to look after her unconscious sister.
"A male homicide victim was discovered in Suwahara City Park late last night. Currently the police are investigating the case-"
Kiana's eyes blinked rapidly. Did she just hear it right? A murder case? Here?
"While the murder weapon has yet to be determined, it seems most likely that it was a sharp blade. The victim was killed with one single slash, severing the victim's head from his body."
Bianka closed off her mouth with her hands and looked away, horrified by the idea of someone murdering an innocent civilian like that in cold blood.
While the kill is indeed brutal. Kiana only felt sorry for the man, she felt that it was his fate to die like that. She doesn't understand why she felt that way nor do she understand why she doesn't feel like she's going to throw up like her sister beside her.
Was it because of her "Past" memories? Kiana shakes her head. Now isn't the time to think about that as she turns off the TV to prevent her sister from throwing up in her room.
"Nee san."
"I-It's okay Kiana. I'm okay now, I think it's just t-too sudden." Bianka pressed her hand against her head.
"Then just skip school like I do Nee san you look pale after hearing and seeing that you know."
"I just need a little bit of rest then I will go." The blond haired girl decided to lounge in her room instead, more specifically she started to lay down on Kiana's bed despite the patient she was serving was still right here with her.
Kiana sighs as she shakes her head. Well at least she's the one feeling better now, no need to make a fuss over it with her sister.
"Zarathustra huh." She takes the phone that somehow magically ended up inside her pocket again. Bianka surely would've put it on a table somewhere if she did find it.
Kiana didn't know who Zarathustra is but at the same time she felt as if she has personally knew who he is. It is another one of those weird sense of foreknowledge that kept pestering her ever since she woke up.
"This is just an opening act." She muttered. Not understanding why she said that herself but for whatever reason she feels like it is exactly what is happening.
An opening for something much greater than she would ever have anticipated. She had a very bad feeling that something big is going to happen in this city soon and it wouldn't just end with one murder either.
"Haa, Damnit." Kiana shakes her head. "…Ren Fuuji… Guess we'd meet at school again. Bastard should've came out of the hospital now after his fight with Shirou." She has an inkling that he would be the center of it all.
"I should keep a close eye on him."
Welp this took longer than expected as i had to replay the early chapters of dies irae to get a mostly accurate recreation of the news reporter dialogue.
Anyway thanks for reading if you have any comments feel free to leave them.