"La~ la-la-la-la, la-la-la..."
"Ding! Ding!"
In this idyllic world of sunshine, grasslands, and gentle breezes, Kiana sat at a small white circular table, humming a lively tune while rhythmically tapping her spoon against her cup for crisp accompaniment. Her delicate features, radiant like a painting, were filled with joy, flushed with vibrant health, carefree and untroubled.
"Sneaking around is getting old; why not come out and have a chat instead?" Suddenly, Kiana stopped, lifting her gaze towards the distance.
Suddenly, Kiana stopped humming and looked up ahead.
The bright world instantly split in two. Starting from the centerline of the small table before her, the other half transformed into pure darkness.
"Clank!"
Amidst the sound of metal chains shifting, a golden-eyed girl with radiant wings appeared. Her arms, thighs, neck, and waist were bound by golden hoops connected to chains extending deep into the shadows, as if she were suspended mid-air, right in front of Kiana.
She descended, heels clicking against the black floor, dragging the golden chains behind her step by step until she reached the dark chair opposite Kiana. She sat down, gazing at her with cold indifference.
"You know, this might be our first peaceful conversation... Try some of my favorite bubble tea—it's really good." Kiana pushed the cup across the table.
With a sudden "clink," just as the bubble tea cup was about to cross the black-and-white boundary on the round table, it shattered and vanished.
"Huh? Quite temperamental, aren't we?" Kiana raised an eyebrow, resting her chin on one hand, observing the girl across from her lazily, almost as if looking at her own twin sister.
"You seem quite pleased with yourself, don't you? For just another fake, waste of space, and imbecile!"
"Say whatever you like; your opinion on who I am means nothing. Besides, when I had you crawling around terrified a few days ago, it didn't sound like you thought so highly then."
"It was merely a momentary lapse. What's your point? Are you getting carried away by one stroke of luck?"
"Quite feisty... Not that my tone is much friendlier either."
With a wave of Kiana's hand, another cup of bubble tea appeared before her. If Sirin didn't want hers, well, more for Kiana—she loved this stuff!
"Mm... Delicious! It tastes exactly like the real thing!"
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Zeke showed me the complete incident report. How should I put it? It confirms what Zeke mentioned: even the most despicable often have their pitiable sides."
"You dare pity me?!" Sirin's eyes blazed with intense murderous intent.
"Boom!!"
The opposing worlds began to tremble violently, stirring up tempestuous winds as black surges threatened to spread towards the serene blue skies.
Kiana continued sipping her bubble tea, unfazed.
As expected, the golden chains around Sirin abruptly tightened, exerting an invisible force that suppressed her energy, and the turmoil within the world subsided.
Sirin furrowed her brow, smirking coldly.
"Your courage stems from that deceitful human, but don't forget how his family died. Do you truly believe he would so easily let go of that hatred?"
"Of course not! If Zeke were to simply forgive, I'd feel it's unjust even for him!" Kiana slammed her cup on the table, speaking earnestly.
Her words caught Sirin off guard. What did she mean by this? Was she expecting him to harbor resentment towards her? People betray friends or abandon parents, but self-sabotage was unheard of.
Kiana then twiddled her fingers, bashfully saying:
"Zeke once said, 'People must take responsibility for their mistakes, but not blindly.' It's impossible for me to bear all the consequences of your actions, but given our unique connection, I do have some responsibility. After thinking about it, to make amends with Zeke, I should give birth to several adorable babies with him. The only tricky part is deciding on names... Oh my, how embarrassing!"
"You... You dare?! This is my body!"
"True enough. I've heard that the first time can be quite painful. How about this? The pain part will be your responsibility, serving as punishment. And naturally, the pleasurable bits will be all for me, heh heh heh!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Just kidding! Not even a single second with Zeke would I share with you, nyah~"
"You—!" Sirin slammed her hand on the table, her face darkening frighteningly.
However, the chains' power was mysteriously immense, tightly restraining her strength. All she could do was vent her rage helplessly.
"One day, I'll kill you and then slowly dismember that hypocritical fool..."
"Eugh!"
The black-and-white circular table between them vanished abruptly. Kiana appeared right in front of Sirin, raising both hands to grab her by the neck and lift her up, cutting off her words.
"You can insult me if you want, but don't casually disrespect Zeke. Don't think just because I sat down to talk with you, I accept you... Remember this: given the chance, I absolutely will make you disappear completely!"
Kiana's face was cold, her blue eyes devoid of emotion. With an icy tone, she stated matter-of-factly,
"You're still...just as insane!"
Sirin gasped out mockingly between breaths. Since she couldn't die and had grown accustomed to Kiana's erratic behavior, there was no trace of fear in her voice.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Kiana released her grip, letting Sirin fall onto the ground where she continued coughing. Leaning down, Kiana said,
"Perhaps you're right. After suppressing it for so many years, I might indeed have some mental issues... But that's fine; being by Zeke's side will help me recover gradually. Today, my main purpose is to tell you: I claim the Herrscher of the Void's Authority. I'll use this power to atone for those sins and provide genuine assistance to Zeke."
"Herrscher's Authority? Ha ha ha!" Suddenly, Sirin burst into laughter, clutching her sides and nearly rolling on the floor with mirth.
Kiana frowned. "What's so funny?"
"Do you really think it's that easy to control the power bestowed upon me by God? If you're eager for death and want to surrender this body to me sooner, feel free to try!"
"I'm fully aware that as the true Herrscher of the Void, your powers don't naturally belong to me. Therefore, I'll be patient, slowly taking control over them bit by bit. Don't worry; Zeke and I plan to be together for thousands upon thousands of years—why would I risk my own life recklessly? Besides, Zeke will assist me; you know well what his capabilities entail, right?" Kiana kicked at one of the chains on the ground, smiling confidently.
Sirin's laughter gradually subsided.
Kiana spoke with unwavering assurance:
"These chains represent Zeke's interference with our souls' information. Since he doesn't want to harm my soul, they won't last long. However, Zeke will teach me how to harness Information Origin Theory techniques, and Fu Hua-sensei is also an authority on consciousness domains. As for Herrscher Authorities—hah! That's precisely Anti-Entropy's specialty! Rest assured, I'll obtain everything I desire!"
"You're dreaming!"
"Believe what you want; I'm just here to inform you. If you cooperate, perhaps there might be a chance for us to get along better someday. Otherwise, you'll remain forever confined in the darkness depths of my mind!"
"The will of God cannot be defied! Humanity shall ultimately perish! All your efforts are but a mockery! And I... am Honkai itself, ha-ha-ha!" Sirin burst into wild laughter.
Amidst her shrill cackle, she was dragged deeper into the darkness by golden chains before completely vanishing from Kiana's sight. The mental world returned to its serene blue skies and grassy landscape.
"Haah..."
Kiana lifted her blanket and woke up from bed with a groggy yawn.
"Seriously? Not only did it spout nonsense, but it didn't even finish its rant," Kiana grumbled. Spotting Sin sleeping soundly nearby, she smacked her awake.
Slap!
"Agh! You little...bugger!!!"
"It's just to wake you up, lazy pig."
"Oof!"
Sin bit down on Kiana's hand.
Kiana's smug expression froze as beads of sweat began to form on her forehead.
"Um, it's starting to bleed now. Could you let go?"
Crunch!
"Uh, that really hurts. I'm trying to be more considerate and kind from today onward—can we call a temporary truce? Don't make me lose my temper."
Crunch!
"Look, your teeth are piercing through—it's super sharp... So don't push your luck, damn it!"
Kiana pressed her hands against Sin's face, attempting to free her bitten hand, but Sin's bite was relentless. All she achieved was increasing pain with no progress.
In desperation, Kiana grabbed Sin's arm and shoved it towards her own mouth.
"I'll bite too!"
"Ackkkk!" Sin's eyes widened, enduring the pain in her hand without releasing her grip. Instead, she wrapped her slender, pale legs around Kiana's neck.
Kiana immediately retaliated.
The two girls engaged in a fierce, undignified brawl, their nightclothes tearing apart amidst the violent struggle. With one final intense shake, there was a loud crack as the bed's legs snapped under the commotion.
When Zeke and Bronya opened the door to investigate the noise, they were met with this unsightly spectacle.
As they locked eyes, resembling dead fish, beads of cold sweat formed on their entangled faces.
"Icarus, execute Program A7."
"Ahhhhh!" x 2