The deafening echo of a slap echoed down the hallway of the underside of the Hyperion. Kiana's face snapped to the side. The stinging sensation of Tesla's hand tingled on the skin of her cheek. The slap was in no way painful. In fact, she hardly felt it. It was nothing compared to the pain in her chest she felt at that moment.
Around them, no one had stopped to pay attention to the ongoing tension between some of their top brass. Soldiers, technicians, and medical officers, all carrying wounded or otherwise, rushed past them.
There were people Kiana had seen and those that she had never met. Yet, none of that mattered right now. And her situation seemed to not matter to any of them. All of these people had signed on to stop a Herrscher.
"Are you insane!?" Tesla's voice echoed over the sound of alarms and the chattering of personnel that ran past.
Kiana remained silent and gazed back at Tesla wordlessly. Over to the side, Himeko held her side, having received injuries from both Kiana and the Herrscher. Theresa and Kriemhilde wanted to intervene but the situation had them both stunned.
"We had one shot! One shot! And not only did you completely disregard the plan, you destroyed the Selene we had! What if the Herrscher attacked again? What are we going to do about her!?" Tesla screeched.
Kiana clenched her fists and stared fiercely at the doctor, standing her ground with utmost conviction. "I was thinking of Cecilia! That cannon was killing her! I was there—!"
"Killing? Kiana, that Herrscher had enough Honkai energy that if she detonated herself, she'd wipe out half the planet in one go!" Tesla cut her off. "HALF!"
Kiana wanted to cower before Tesla. However, she maintained her ground in front of the furious doctor.
"Do you have any idea what you've done!?"
Kiana bit her cheek before grounding the words out of her mouth. "What was I supposed to do…?" she whispered.
"What…?" Tesla raised an eyebrow.
"What was I supposed to do!?" Kiana screamed. Her body shook as she found the strength to continue.
"Was I supposed to sit there and watch her scream for help? That's my sister for God's sake! I'm not going to stand there and ignore her while she's in pain—"
"That wasn't your sister! That Herrscher tricked you—"
"Herrscher or not! Cecilia is still Cecilia! She's still in there! She's still fighting—"
"What the hell do you think was the point of the Longinus Spear then? I told you the dose wasn't enough! It's not strong enough to take out a Herrscher let alone an Emperor or Judgement Class Beast! That's why we had to use the Selene to—"
Kiana cut Tesla off. "And what if the Selene killed her! What then!? That weapon converts Honkai energy to heat! Cecilia has a Herrscher core! What if the Selene killed her instead of weakening her!? Did your calculations ever consider that, Doctor!?" Kiana spat.
Tesla glared at her, refusing to back down. "Don't you think we thought of that—"
"Calculations are hypothetical! You once told me that! I'm not going to stake my sister's life on a chance! Especially after seeing that!" she fired back.
Tesla grit her teeth.
"Well, I hope you're happy, Kiana. Because of you, the Herrscher is still awake in your sister's body and managed to escape into the Imaginary Space! Now we have absolutely no way of tracking her unless she decides to attack the ship again!" Tesla said.
Kiana remained silent at that. Cecilia had escaped without any way to track her. With her escape, the Honkai Beasts that plagued Schicksal and the Hyperion had also fled alongside their master.
"Then that's our only chance at getting her."
The arguing duo turned around to see Himeko taking a step forward. "If our only way to find Cecilia really is to wait until she attacks again, I doubt it'd be long. Judging from what happened during the fight, the girl has the ability to heal herself in minutes. It won't take long for her to recover enough strength to hunt us down."
Tesla bit her lip at her words. With a sigh, she turned to Kriemhilde and Theresa. "You two are S-Ranks. Himeko has a Godsbane series. Mophead and I will support you three while you suppress Cecilia."
Kiana narrowed her eyes. "What about me?"
"What about you?" Tesla asked.
"Are you seriously leaving me out!?" Kiana asked.
"Of course we are! You're going to be a liability in the upcoming fight! You couldn't even wait for me to give you the signal to jam the thing in Cecilia's neck! How the hell are you going to fight the Herrscher if she imitates Cecilia again?" the red-headed doctor asked, daring Kiana to come up with an answer.
Kiana clenched her fists before storming off down the hallway.
"I'll go after her," Himeko said, running off after her.
Tesla sighed and waved her off. "I'm going to go find Mophead and begin to make some headway on repairs on the Selene before the Herrscher decides to attack again."
"I'll go to the Bridge and assess the situation. Kriemhilde, what are you—?" Theresa was cut off as Kriemhilde spoke up.
"I'm going with you. You, me, Kiana, and Himeko are the only fighting force we have capable of standing against the Herrscher what with Mei and Bronya practically out of commission. We'll need all hands on deck. After that, we can go check on the others," Kriemhilde said.
Kiana stormed down the hallways of the lower levels of the Hyperion. She ignored the people that ran past her. Fueled completely by guilt and anger, Kiana walked until she found herself standing stopping before a portion of the Hyperion's underside that led into the hangar bay. Here, the alarms seemed to fade into obscurity as she leaned against the railing.
Tears fell down her face as she allowed herself to break down if only for a second.
"Ceci… I'm so sorry…," she whispered into the chaos around her. "I… I couldn't…"
No one heard her. Her silent plea for forgiveness went unheard by everyone except her. Perhaps, Kiana preferred it to be that way. She needed time to collect and prepare herself. She knew that there was a chance this would fail and that she would need to make the ultimate decision. It was a decision she hoped she'd never have to make.
Kiana looked down at her hand. Frost danced between her fingers before she balled her hands into a fist.
"Haha, what a joke… Power of the Chimera? If this is so powerful, then why is my sister still a Herrscher…?" Kiana said in a bitter tone.
Her self-loathing was at an all-time high at this point.
She sighed and leaned against the railing. Her hand fished around in the pocket of her battlesuit and she finally pulled out what she was looking for.
In her hand, a pale vial, containing an almost translucent blue fluid, sat in her palm. Her eyes gazed upon the only object that could possibly grant her sister the salvation she needed. Yet, in the end, Kiana couldn't bring herself to watch the agony Cecilia had to go through to reach that light.
"Damn it…," Kiana muttered under her breath.
Her scarred face reflected in the glass of the vial.
"If you wanted to take a breather, you could've gone to your quarters…"
Kiana looked up to see Himeko walking up to her. The redhead was unaffected by the riotous sounds that echoed down the hallway. The blaring red lights that bathed the entire corridor seemed to do nothing to face her either.
"I thought you'd be up there," Kiana said, pocketing the vial.
"No. I'd rather not be. The air up there is rather tight. You've known me for a while now. I thought for sure you'd understand how boring it is to sit in on strategy meetings," Himeko said, leaning on the railing next to her.
A ghost of a smile danced across Kiana's lips. "I guess…"
"Listen, about what happened earlier—"
"If you're going to tell me off like Doctor Tesla did earlier, save your breath. I made my choice and I don't regret it a single bit," Kiana said.
"I'm not here to do that…," Himeko said softly.
Kiana remained silent as she gazed down at the floor. A small amount of blood trickled down and splashed onto the metal.
"You're bleeding," she pointed out.
"I know. So are you," Kiana replied. "But don't worry. She just nicked me… a couple of dozen times." Kiana gingerly touched the cut on her cheek. She stared at her own blood for a few seconds. "I… You know why I did it, right?"
"I do," Himeko replied.
"I couldn't watch her suffer like that. I… I know I messed up but—"
"I get it. She's your sister. I don't think I could've stood by and watched either if I was in your position. Hell, I had a hard time watching even though I wasn't her older sister," Himeko replied.
"But she got away. And in the end, it was all my fault. Someone once told me that… my sister was going to be the death of me," Kiana said as she slid down onto the floor. She hugged her knees.
"I guess in a way Cecilia is my biggest weakness. No one can make me falter like she can. No one can make me hesitate to do things," she said.
Himeko said nothing.
"That girl… was a clone of me. You know… I actually don't remember much of what happened that led to her being created. All I remember was that was a lot of pain and I think I was asleep most of the time. But there were times, when I was lucid enough that I saw her. I reached out to her and she did to me. But when Dad came for me, we went back for her too. I… couldn't leave her behind," Kiana smiled as she touched the black choker around her neck.
"That girl… was the only light I had when I was awake. Even if we didn't say anything to each other, we had each other in that terrible place," Kiana confessed.
Himeko simply kept listening to her friend's story.
"That's why… no matter what. I'll save her again too. Cecilia is my family. I didn't just make a promise to Dad before he died. I made a promise to myself. That girl is my entire world. And… a world without her is meaningless to me," Kiana said, wiping a tear from her eye.
"But in the end, look at me. I failed to save her… again," she whispered.
"You didn't fail, Kiana," Himeko said gently.
"I did. I couldn't… I couldn't stand to hear her scream. I… Haha, I ruined our one plan to get her back," she replied. Tears streamed down her face. However, her tears froze on her cheeks, breaking off into soft flecks of frost as Kiana wiped her face.
"Kiana…"
"Himeko, I won't… I won't let her get away this time. I'll get her back. No matter what…"
"We're going to save her, Kiana," Himeko said.
"Right… we still have this. The Selene's bound to have done a number on her." Kiana pulled the vial out of her pocket. "Ceci's ticket back to normal. No matter what happens from here on, Himeko, promise me something."
Himeko raised an eyebrow at her words.
"Anything," she said.
"Keep her safe."
"Kiana—"
"Just… promise. Please. It'll give me peace of mind before the Herrscher of the Void shows up again," Kiana whispered.
Himeko frowned before nodding.
"As long as you promise that we both come back after we save your sister. You still owe me that beer," Himeko said, grinning.
A soft watery chuckle escaped Kiana's lips. She beamed at her friend and nodded. "Alright, but I get to choose where we go drinking after."
"I'll hold you to that promise, Kiana," she replied.
"Now, let's get back to the bridge and—"
The ship suddenly shook violently. The alarms, which had died down, began to blare once more. The red lights of the hallway intensified.
"Kiana, are you—"
"She's here," Kiana said, looking out the window. Below them, a swarm of beasts appeared. The gunfire from the artillery shot down swarms of honkai beasts as they converged upon the Hyperion's underside. Her eyes drifted down to a white shadow that flew past them in a blur. Its wings flapped and created a sonic boom that slammed into the ship's underbelly.
"W- Woah!" Himeko stumbled as she grabbed onto a railing for support.
Kiana pocketed the vial and turned to Himeko.
Himeko met her blue eyes and nodded. "We need to get to the bridge and assess the situation. Come on!" Himeko urged.
As Himeko turned her back to Kiana and began to walk, she felt someone strike her neck. In an instant, the oxygen that flowed to her brain was cut off and she fell to the ground. Her vision swam as she struggled to stay conscious. A pair of familiar combat boots walked into her field of vision.
"Himeko… take care of them," Kiana said.
"Kiana… you—! What are you…?" Himeko weakly reached for her friend's feet.
"You still have a lot of things to teach them. Mei, Bronya, Cecilia. Even Wendy."
Himeko weakly reached up and her eyes widened slightly.
There was a peaceful smile on Kiana's face.
"No… stop…," she whispered as she felt the tendrils of unconsciousness beginning to wrap themselves around her mind.
"Don't look at me like that. That look you make is the most annoying thing about you," Kiana joked.
"I have a lot of things I want to say to you," she continued.
The ship suddenly lurched violently. Kiana looked toward the bridge before turning to Himeko, who was doing her best to fight the grip of sleep but failing horribly.
"But keep your promise, okay? And cut back on the beer for me," Kiana said.
"Kiana…!" Himeko's fingers wrapped around Kiana's ankle before slipping and falling to the ground with a thud as she fell unconscious.
A tear slipped down Kiana's cheek and dripped onto the floor, freezing as it did. She gently picked Himeko's unconscious form up and propped it against the wall.
Kiana gave her one last look before taking a step toward the direction of the bridge.
"Fighting against a Herrscher by yourself. You, who have yet to properly grasp the power of the Chimera in its totality."
Kiana said nothing as a different voice made itself known. "I was wondering if you could talk to me. I guess you can, Will of Stigmata," she said, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the transparent figure of the white-haired man.
"Does this mean you've made your choice?" he asked.
Kiana looked down at her hand. Blue flames coiled around it as her arm transformed into its monstrous form. "I've made that choice a long time ago. This time… I'll throw away my humanity for it."
"You… are the same as him. No wonder she took such a deep interest in you. You and her brother are one and the same," the Will said.
"What was his name?" Kiana asked.
"Kevin."
"Hah… Kevin…" The name sounded foreign yet strangely familiar on her lips. She smiled. "Well, if anything, Kevin and I can agree on one thing," Kiana said as she stepped onto the elevator.
"And what is that?" the Will of Stigmata asked, looking at her strangely.
"No matter what, even if that price is the whole of the world, I wouldn't make a different choice. I will save Cecilia, just like he saved KIANA. Because to me, saving my sister is the same as saving the world," Kiana said, smiling at the translucent figure just as the elevator doors closed.
"How is the ship's integrity?" Tesla asked as she and Einstein ran down the hallway. The two had split from Kriemhilde and Theresa a while back. Since the first sign of the ship being attacked was felt, the group split up with Theresa heading for the medical bay for her students and Kriemhilde to find Kiana and Himeko.
"We've sustained major damage to our starboard side. We're trying to get all systems back online, however, all access to the bridge from the starboard location has been compromised!" one of the engineers said over the comms.
"Great! Just fucking great!" Tesla said sarcastically.
"Is there any way for the Doctor and I to make it to the bridge from our location?" Einstein asked.
"We've determined minimal damage to the port side. Access to it should still be operational!" the engineer said over the comms.
"Got it. And… has Major Murata and Captain Kaslana made it back to the bridge?" Einstein asked.
"Negative, ma'am. We've confirmed no visual of—"
The comm-link suddenly died, leaving static.
"Einstein to Bridge Command, do you copy? Please respond?" Einstein asked.
"—Captain Kaslana… last known… location… portside… bridge access—"
The message kept breaking in and out of static.
"They've spotted Kiana through the cameras. It seems she's heading for the bridge," Einstein said.
"I know. We're tuned into the same channel. Let me call her," Tesla said, switching her call to Kiana. "Kiana? Kiana, do you copy?"
"Copy." Kiana's voice came through the comms.
"Kiana, Kriemhilde is heading for the hangers. Rendezvous with her there," Tesla said.
"..."
"Kiana, do you copy?" Tesla asked as she and Einstein rounded a corner.
"I do. I'm sorry… I can't really head over there right now," Kiana replied.
"Can't or won't?" Tesla asked.
"Haha, Doctor. You always know how to read my words so well. I'm heading for the bridge. Leave things up here to me. Go help the others first," Kiana said.
"What…? Kiana, what are you—"
The ship buckled as an intense force slammed into it. Einstein and Tesla were thrown into the wall. Everyone else fell or was thrown against the wall as well. Things clattered down from the ship's ceiling and anything attached to the wall fell off.
"Ugh… Kiana? Kiana, can you still read me?" Tesla asked.
Nothing came from the comms but static.
"Damn it! Kriem!" Tesla switched frequencies.
"Yeah?" Kriemhilde replied.
"Kiana's heading for the bridge, do you think you can—"
"I have a bit of a situation over here. Himeko is unconscious against the wall. It looks like… Kiana knocked her clean out," Kriemhilde replied.
"God damn it!" Tesla cursed.
"I'm bringing her to the med bay then, heading for the Fafnir."
"R- Right. We'll try to make our way to the bridge and stop whatever it is Kiana has planned," she said.
"Got it."
Tesla and Einstein nodded to themselves before hastening their pace.
Kiana stood behind a steel door. Rather than heading for the bridge as she had originally intended, she decided this was a better course of action. Without a doubt, the doctors and her aunt would try to stop her. With a sigh, she tapped a few buttons and the double doors lurched open with a groan. A blast of cold wind buffeted her as she stepped out.
The Sun was now almost blocked out by a swarm of Honkai Beasts. Archangels and Cassiels banding together like a swarm of locusts and converging upon the Hyperion. The artillery fire punctured holes in the swarm, but the gaps were mended as quickly as they appeared.
"Heh… Ceci… you better be watching," Kiana said.
Flames swirled around her as Shamash took on its dreaded zweihander form. She gripped the handle before swinging the blade.
A wave of fire surged through the air, impacting the dense swarm above. The sky lit up, bathed in an amber glow. An overwhelming heat washed over the swarm and the Hyperion as the Honkai swarm obliterated upon impact.
The force of the blow gouged an incomparably massive hole in the swarm, causing them to break apart into individual clusters.
"Mmm?" Kiana smiled when she heard an ear-piercing roar shatter the sky. The remaining swarms scattered as a shadow momentarily blocked out the sun.
Kiana's eyes changed. An aura of frost gathered around her as she prepared herself. An announcement echoed from the ship's intercoms, which was heard even amidst the chaos on the deck.
[Unidentified heat signature approaching from behind. Speed: 420 klicks per hour!]
Kiana smiled. She fished the vial out of her pocket, staring into its contents before pocketing it. In her free hand, a greatsword made of ice manifested as she waited.
[Optical system failure! Unable to acquire visual on the bogey!]
The Hyperion shook but Kiana stood her ground. An explosion rang out from her side as a shadow darted high into the clouds above, obscuring their form.
[Sloped deck armor hit by energy shell! We have lost our spoilers! Directing all energy to forward shields!]
[Target is now reapproaching at 1000 meters away… 700… 300…]
Kiana tightened her grip on her blades as she saw the white dragon tearing at the shields with its wings. It tore through them completely, circling around. It had spotted her.
It let out a powerful roar before diving toward her.
"Hmph, sending you here first. Well then, Ceci…" Kiana shifted her heel and launched herself forward with a blast of frost.
She met Benares head on, kicking the underside of its chin. The force of the kick displaced the air and sent the dragon into the air. It flew upward, disoriented by the blow.
Kiana vanished from her spot and reappeared above the Dragon. She let out a roar as she spun, slicing her blades into its side before throwing it down to the ground.
Benares crashed violently against the deck, shaking the Hyperion as it landed. It let out a growl as it got up. Light gathered within its mouth as it fired a beam of energy at Kiana.
Flames swirled in Kiana's left hand. She dispelled the ice sword and grabbed Shamash with both hands. She swung it, cutting into the energy beam. A wave of fire sliced through it, striking Benares in the head.
Benares roared in agony as it stumbled. The right side of its skull had severe burns on it.
"Hoh? Not so tough now, are we?" Kiana said, shifting her heel. The flames of Shamash converged around her. In one swift movement, she instantly crossed the distance between them.
Her now-armored shoulder slammed into the Judgement Class Beast, sending it sliding across the deck.
"Now… call for her!" Kiana yelled.
Benares attempted to bite down and swallow Kiana. Kiana reverted Shamash back to its pistol forms. She holstered them before grabbing Benares's jaws. Kiana held them open, preventing them from closing around her. She slid back as the Dragon pushed against her.
"Haaah!" Kiana tightened her grip around its snout before pulling on it, throwing Benares over her shoulder.
The dragon roared as it was slammed onto the deck once more. It roared weakly, lifting its head before falling back down.
Acting quickly, Kiana pulled Shamash out of its holsters, transforming it into its greatsword form once more. She raised the blade over her head, ready to decapitate the dragon that lay before her.
As she brought it down, a portal opened before her. Shamash sliced into the portal, causing a flash of light to momentarily blind her.
When the light died down, Kiana found herself in an utterly alien landscape. The once blue skies were replaced by a dull, violet swirling void. Strange crystalline structures floated aimlessly in the air around her. Even the Hyperion had changed. The crater where Benares had landed was still there, but the entire ship had been replaced by a strange silicone-like replica.
"..." Kiana scanned her surroundings silently, sensing that she was near.
"Ehe… fufufufu…" A sinister giggle caught her attention. Kiana calmly turned to see the person she had been waiting for.
Descending from the seeming nothingness like a divine, the Herrscher of the Void, whose wounds had mostly been healed by the Gem of Serenity, slowly walked. Her heels clicked against the small platforms of light that formed underneath her boots.
"Dear sister, did you think I would allow any of you to escape?" the Herrscher said as she touched down on the replica of the Hyperion.
Kiana said nothing. Flames and frost swirled around her as she faced the Herrscher down without a sound.
"Nothing to say to your dear sister before you plunge the Judgement of Shamash in my chest like you tried to when our father died?" the Herrscher of the Void said mockingly.
Kiana's eyes narrowed slightly. "Cecilia… wait for me. I'll save you."
"Ahaha… Ahahahaha! Ahahah!" The Herrscher's eyes widened with glee. "Now it's just us, Kiana… No help from those scientists or the valkyries at St. Freyja. Finally, with you out of the way, this pathetic girl will be snuffed out by the despair of knowing her role in your death. And soon, I will claim what is mine and devour this world!"
A small smile graced Kiana's lips as she brandished Shamash with a flourish. A black carapace encased her left arm. A thick stocky tail grew out from her spine, swishing across the ground. A crown of short black horns protruded from her forehead.
"I hope you're ready to meet your maker, Big Sis~!" the Herrscher said.
"I'm not. But I am ready to bring you home, Little Sis," Kiana replied.
As the Herrscher of the Void's finger twitched, Kiana launched herself at extreme speeds. Sound shattered and a resounding boom echoed through the emptiness of Imaginary Space.
The Herrscher of the Void met Kiana's flaming sword with a blue barrier. Flames and Honkai energy swirled around them as their battle began in earnest.
I'm going to go on vacation in two weeks so if you don't see a chapter go up after next week, just assume I'm on a plane and unable to upload properly. But we are... here. Hehe.