Chapter Text
Mei wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but Kiana’s excited proclamation paired with the sight of a beautiful, circular valley teeming with Honkai beasts was certainly not it.
“Um, My Lady?” It would seem Sophia was of the same mind, “I don’t mean to question your judgement, but how are we supposed to get through all those Honkai beasts?”
Kiana grinned, “Oh don’t worry, I’ve seen this kind of aimless behaviour before. This horde should just be passing through, most of them’ll probably be gone in an hour or so.”
“So we’re stuck here for a bit?” Cecilia pursed her lips in displeasure.
Kiana shrugged, “Hey, no one said hiking through Honkai infested mountains was gonna be quick, as much as I wish it was. Besides, at least we’ve got some flat ground here. We can eat lunch while we wait!”
“Kiana idiotka is saying something smart for once,” Bronya nodded.
“What about going around?” Camellia asked.
Bronya looked at her for a moment before turning her gaze to the distant peaks and steep cliffs around them, “Would you rather spend several extra days hiking through unknown terrain just to go around this crater? Ordinarily Kiana and I would be able to exert control over every Honkai beast and keep them from bothering us too much, but every bit of Honkai energy we use here takes some away from our defences against the Will’s continued efforts to break us, so I’d rather save our powers for when it really matters.”
“Alright, waiting it is,” Camellia grumbled.
Isabella wasted no time in finding a reasonably comfortable rock and shrugged off her pack with a pleased sigh, “Well, I for one will enjoy this break.” The priestess hummed happily to herself as she rifled through her pack and pulled out canned fruit and a package of dried meat, content to wait as the Herrschers had suggested.
Mei, however, remained studying the valley far below for another few seconds, violet eyes darting to and fro and drinking in every detail of this treacherous ground.
Of course, Kiana noticed Mei’s absence almost immediately, “Hey, Mei!” She called, “At least take your pack off! We’re not gonna be leaving for a few hours at least!” The Herrscher paused for a moment and a look of hesitation passed over her face, “Bronya a few hours is a normal time to wait, right? My sense of time for regular humans hasn’t been thrown way off again?”
“No, you’re fine, Kiana,” Bronya assured her, “It might be a bit boring but they can handle waiting a few hours.”
Kiana laughed and shot the priestess a bright smile as she joined her companions, “Okay good. You know, no one told me that this ‘becoming the final Herrscher and being functionally immortal’ thing would fuck up stuff like my sense of time.” Kiana joked and smiled easily, but these defences could not so easily hide the relieved slump of her shoulders she attempted to keep from violet eyes.
“Kiana,” Mei began, pulling the Herrscher's attention back to her as she removed her pack and sat down, “I was observing this… crater, and I spotted something unusual.”
“What's up, Mei?”
“There seems to be some kind of structure or object in the centre of this place. But if it is a structure, it seems extremely worn down and abandoned even from this distance.”
“Ah, that,” Kiana nodded. Her expression hardened as she thought, until such seriousness was once again chased away by a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, “You see, part of the reason I brought us to this area of the mountains in particular when we crashed is both because it's a path to our objective, as well as a path to… a bit of a personal and selfish desire of mine. I didn’t realise we were this close until I saw the crater though. Usually I just teleport in. I’ve never gone hiking through these mountains before.”
Bronya hummed her agreement, “I will admit this is also something I wished for as well. We've… We've been gone for a long time.”
Kiana nodded, a sad smile shining for all her companions to see, “I wanted to take a moment to say hi to my teacher.”
Two women appeared with a flash of purple. The room was spacious, well lit, and kept warm by a robust heating system installed at the behest of its owner. A large couch sat against one wall, and a spacious desk holding a rather robust computer setup sat against the other. On one side of this desk, tucked against the corner of the room, was a soft purple decorated bed large enough for two or three people shrouded with a parted veil which gave it a rather lavish appearance. On the other side of the desk stood several tall shelves placed against the wall and filled with books of all types as well as shelves dedicated to various charms, statuettes, and other memorabilia. Once silent, this sanctuary was now party to the furious growl of the Herrscher of the Void.
“ Ugh! I hate having to use that traitorous bastard of a creator, but it's what Kiana deserves!”
Bella watched with a carefully schooled neutrality as Sirin plopped onto her couch. The Herrscher was still gritting her teeth, her fingers tapping against the armrest restlessly, “My Queen, perhaps a hot bath after fighting on that dusty plain is in order? I can prepare it for you.”
“I don’t want a bath, Bella! I want to drive a spear through my asshole of a sister until she begs for my forgiveness!” Sirin let out another growl of frustration, “But I can’t kill her! She’s the only thing left holding our creator back! I just wanted to punish her. And even then, I could feel the immense reserve of Honkai energy she was holding back. I can’t kill the Herrscher of Finality head on and it makes me furious!”
“You just said you didn’t want to kill her because of the Will of Honkai, though.”
“ That’s not the point, Bella!”
Bella sighed, “Would it help if I sat with you for a bit and held you?”
Sirin’s face scrunched up in a rather cute frown as she thought for a moment, “ Fine.”
At that a small smile flitted across Bella’s lips and she moved to provide the offered affection. The Honkai beast girl carefully lowered herself next to her Queen, fighting valiantly to keep the wince off her face and bite back a hiss of pain as the movement irritated her injuries. Though by the way golden eyes snapped to her face it would seem she wasn’t quite successful.
“Bella, you’re injured.” Sirin sat up straight, and the haughty dangerous air she always kept about her melted ever so slightly.
“I-It’s nothing, my Queen,” Bella grunted, “The Herrscher of R- Truth got the better of me. I shall live with the consequences.”
“Oh shut up and give me your hand!” Sirin commanded.
Bella obliged with only a slight pout.
Gloved hand met gloved hand, Sirin cupping Bella’s with surprising gentleness considering her usual irate and violent manner. Her other hand she brushed up Bella’s arm, caressing her bicep and the several cuts and bruises to be found there. Much like her physical touch, Sirin’s Honkai energy flowed through their connected limbs with a seeking, soothing gentleness.
The Herrscher frowned, “ It’s not just these superficial cuts. Why didn’t you tell me Bronya broke a rib?!”
“I… I didn’t want to add to your worries with everything else going on,” Bella mumbled.
Sirin scoffed, “Bella! I may have been focused on Kiana but how many times do I have to tell you to tell me when something like this happens to you?” Her eyes trailed up the healing cuts and bruises along Bella’s arms until she was looking into those deep sky blue eyes that always shimmered with unending devotion, “You’re-” Sirin’s voice fell. For the first time something akin to fear crept into the voice of the mighty Herrscher of the Void, “You’re the only one left, Bella. Avrora, Agata, Galina… Every day my hate grows that I was unable to do anything but preserve their bodies after Schicksal destroyed the gems I specially crafted for them. You’re the only one I was able to save by turning into a Honkai beast. The only one that survived the Valkyries… I-” Sirin paused before her nose scrunched into a frowning grimace and her voice rose to its usual intensity, “I command you again like I have countless times before, Bella! You are forbidden to die! You cannot leave me!”
A small smile stuttered over Bella’s lips, “Of course. I apologise, My Queen. It seems that even after all this time I am a slow learner with these things.” Relief washed over the girl as her Queen’s Honkai energy suffused her wound, the Honkai beast woman easily repaired by the energy of a Herrscher.
“Hmph. As long as you follow my orders and don’t get yourself killed.” Wordlessly, Sirin pulled Bella’s arm over her head and around her shoulders before sliding across their shared seating to tuck herself against the girl’s side.
Bella’s momentary surprise quickly melted into a loving squeeze of Sirin’s shoulders. That small smile only grew wider as the Herrscher allowed herself a small hum of happiness. And if the terrifying, murderous Void Queen smiled oh so softly at the feeling of Bella’s warm embrace? Well, this was not a sight for the world that had rejected and hurt her Queen so.
This was a sight for Bella, and Bella alone.
“Your teacher?”
Kiana smiled at Cecilia’s questioning gaze, “Yes. It’s been so long now I don’t expect her name would sound familiar to any of you. But… well, you’ll see when we get down there. It’d be better for you to see everything in person. I can tell you more about her then.”
The group fell back into a contemplative silence. The soft clink and rustling of packaging was the only sounds for a good while as they ate and organised their thoughts. Once they had begun finishing their simple meals the Herrscher of Finality once again struck up conversation. About the temple, what they were teaching the priestesses about her. How modern life was treating them. Contrary to Mei’s image of Kiana’s patience, she listened attentively, her focus never faltering even as she cringed at parts of modern humanity’s perception of her. The Moonbeams regaled her with tales from the annals of history as the temple told them. Of the Moon’s struggle and triumph against the impossibly virulent viruses of the Herrscher of Corruption, a struggle that left several cities nothing but rubble in a nuclear wasteland. Kiana simply laughed and gave all the credit to the ever young scientists Einstein and Tesla and their team at Anti-Entropy.
Caihong told of a legend of how the Goddess had pushed a judgement-class Honkai beast back into the sea to be eviscerated by Nagazora’s defensive wall. Kiana directed their praise towards the Herrscher of Thunder, for she had only helped the woman defend her home.
Isabella told of the Herrscher of Finality saving her ancestral home, a ruined city riddled with Honkai beasts and soaked in radiation. Until The Herrscher of Finality descended and siphoned the deadly energy from the land. Today it still stood as a renewed and prosperous city. Maybe not as big as one of the megacities like Arc, but it was more than the survivors of that fateful day could have ever dreamed. Kiana once again laughed bashfully and said the Phoenix was the one to thank for teaching her how to better control Honkai energy.
Sophia had her own tale of the Moon Goddess dispelling a storm of Honkai energy headed towards her home that had turned the sky pink with ethereal currents of energy and whipped the atmosphere into a frenzy. Kiana simply shrugged and stated it was mostly the Herrscher of Wind’s work wrangling the storm, she had only taken out the flying Honkai beast in the centre of it all.
This continuing pattern of response was soon interrupted by a scoff from Camellia, “Alright then let me ask you a question you can’t simply deflect to someone else.” At Kiana’s nod she continued, “Bronya and Mei told us a little about Sirin’s history. Her origin. And Bronya also told me that the Herrscher of Wind was another victim of Schicksal experimentation. Is this true?”
Kiana nodded slowly, “Yes, that is true.”
The Moonbeams looked between the women, their expressions the picture of shock and no small amount of awkwardness as the Valkyrie continued to press the Herrscher. Camellia’s expression had slowly shifted into that of a woman holding back an increasing anger and disgust, muttering a short curse under her breath.
Camellia took a deep breath and banished her emotions from her face, “Then answer me this: Who is the third Herrscher Schicksal apparently created after the Herrscher of Wind?”
Kiana’s eyes widened. Not too obviously, just a slight movement of her eyes, but with everyone’s focus on her and Camellia it was impossible to miss. The Herrscher fell silent for a moment. Kiana’s lip caught between her teeth, chewing on the flesh nervously.
“Sorry, Kiana,” Bronya apologized, “I made a comment about it when I was talking with Camellia about Schicksal last night.”
Kiana shook her head, “No, no it’s… it’s okay, Bronya.” She smiled ruefully, “You’re actually on your way to finding out the answer already, Camellia. That secret… Its details are hidden within Schicksal’s ancient HQ. Along with many others besides…” Her voice trailed off into a tired whisper as she finished. There was a look in her eyes as this past was brought to the fore, even just this tiny hint of it. Something that brought a heavy, almost haunted look to the Herrscher’s eyes. A burden, but one she had grown used to carrying.
“Were you there?” Cecilia asked, her voice as sharp and focused as ever, “Did you... live through the Great Eruption?”
Kiana’s resulting chuckle held none of the humour it had a few minutes ago, “Yeah. Yeah, I did. So did Bronya. And… And the Herrscher of Thunder. Before she had embraced her identity as a Herrscher. It was...” Kiana hesitated for several moments until she finally pushed herself to her feet with a sigh and made her way towards the lip of the crater. As she walked it was as if she pulled a blanket of tension over every woman present, nervous eyes waiting and watching to see what would happen next, keenly aware of the emotions behind that single sigh, “Bronya!” Came her call after a moment, “The horde has moved enough. Let's get going.”
“Already?” Bronya frowned, “Kiana it’s only been an hour.”
“I’ll spare some of my power to keep any Honkai beasts we encounter passive.” She gestured forward with her head, “It’s better that we get moving and they see these things for themselves rather than listen to me talk about it.”
Isabella nodded to the others and the space was filled with the rustle of fabric as they began to pull their packs back onto their shoulders. Bronya seized the opportunity to slip away with Project Bunny and join Kiana while the others took a moment to converse amongst themselves.
“It must be something serious if she doesn’t even want to talk about it,” Sophia commented quietly, prompting the group to gather together.
Cecilia frowned, “The Great Eruption was a catastrophe so great we’re still feeling the effects three millennia later. It must have been hell to have actually experienced.”
“Then why’d ya ask?” Sophia questioned incredulously.
“Because despite it being such a significant event, the details we have in this age are incredibly disjointed considering what a massive disaster it was and how much effort should have gone into studying it,” Cecilia shot back, “And now we have learned that our Goddess was a Schicksal Valkyrie at such a time. What better chance is there to learn of things lost to history, Honkai corruption, and Schicksal manipulation?”
Caihong raised an eyebrow, “You sure you don’t just wanna bring fame to the family name with something like that?”
Cecilia’s voice grew taught with indignation, “You know that is not why I took an interest in these things!”
Caihong quickly raised her hands in surrender.
Mei looked at the swordswoman with newfound interest, “Cecilia, you study history? I’ve seen you in the temple archives plenty of times, but I didn’t know it was for study.”
Hazel eyes almost immediately darted away, “I’m not a history major or something like that. But my family has our own history of well known historians. When my parents tried to raise me to be the one to bring back our family fame, it was impossible for me to ignore the half truths and holes scattered throughout humanity’s last several millennia. They taught me to connect the dots and read between the lines, but there’s only one conclusion to come to when the dots bear signs of tampering and the space between the lines are filled in with useless noise. That is when it truly grabbed my attention.”
“And you didn’t say anything until now?” Sophia’s voice was mired in disbelief.
“I have been observing. I am not as frivolous with my words as you, Sophia.”
“Okay girls, that’s enough.” Isabella cut in with a roll her eyes, “I’m sure our Lady has her reasons. Save any other questions for your prayers and let's get a move on.”
The descent down the unnaturally smooth wall of the crater was treacherous, but no more so than the rest of their climb through these mountains. The whites and greys of the mountain rock faded to black as they crossed into the inner rim. The texture was strange under their shoes, it’s appearance was smooth, almost glassy, and yet their feet did not have nearly as much trouble finding purchase as expected.
As if stepping through an invisible barrier, once they began their descent into the crater both Herrschers’ conditions began to flag once more. Bronya rested in the firm cradle of Project Bunny’s arm. Meanwhile Mei kept close to Kiana as a seemingly permanent grimace of pain was affixed to the Herrscher’s face. Their wounds (which Mei now realised had previously been rather calm since the morning) had once again begun pulsing violently with an inner light. Even without actively utilising her gems she could feel the barest hint of how the Honkai energy pulsed, writhed, and roiled like a living entity around the Herrschers. If she hadn’t been standing next to two literal Goddesses, such a peek into the impossibly thick concentration of Honkai would be absolutely terrifying. Just how deep did the Herrscher of Finality’s Honkai reserves go? She couldn’t help but wonder.
There was a scuff of a shoe against the rock, a flailing of arms and a small yelp as Kiana stumbled. Four arms shot out, Mei and Camellia both latching onto one of the Herrscher’s arms before she could fully lose her balance.
“Kiana!” Mei gasped, “Careful!”
“You alright?” Camellia frowned.
“Ehehe...” Kiana smiled awkwardly, “Sorry! I’m alright, I swear!”
Mei and Camellia shared a disbelieving look, “Kiana,” Mei frowned, “Your wounds are pulsing again. Please don’t push yourself.”
Kiana looked as if she might keep brushing off their concern until she took in the worried looks from not just Mei, but Camellia and the rest of her priestesses as well. The awkward smile faltered in the face of such attention, “I’ll be okay! The pain is just... coming back and it took me by surprise. Sorry for worrying you.”
After a second or two of silence the mortals seemed to accept this explanation. Kiana did not stumble again the rest of the way down the strangely textured rock face. Of course, this did not fully assuage the worry within Mei’s heart. A worry that never seemed to fully relent even when she was at peaceful rest. There was always that little kernel of anxiety in her heart that ever looked towards the woman known as Kiana Kaslana, and it seemed to increase tenfold with the knowledge that Kiana was suffering. It took several more hours to fully descend the slanted face of the crater, step after cautious step, eyes darting between the white shapes growing larger below them and the flitting flocks of airborne beasts above them. The sun was now dipping towards the horizon, the peaks far above them beginning to obscure its light and cast long shadows across this mysterious sanctuary within the mountains. The completion of their descent was met with soft grass cushioning the soles of their shoes, the plant life a brilliant emerald and shining with the faint glow of pink veins in the dimming light of the setting sun. Each breath carried with it the taste of moist plant life, the soil near the trees they passed dark with a healthy dampness. The air was still, no wind disturbing the soft pinpricks of lights that floated through the air around them. At first the women had thought them fireflies, though upon closer inspection these pink lights took the form of miniscule white carapaced Honkai beasts. A strange phenomenon, as these creatures did not seem to server an immediate violent purpose like other beasts, which was quickly remarked on by Sophia. The trees stood tall and the wide clusters and underbrush would no doubt provide good shelter should they need it. The more pressing issue, however, was the beings moving through said vegetation.
It only took a few minutes for them to eventually be forced to rush for cover behind the trees as a group of Chariot-class Honkai beasts wandered through the brush with their trademark ponderous gait.
“My Lady,” Cecilia hissed in a low voice, “What are we going to do about them? We can’t fight every Honkai beast in this crater.”
Kiana chuckled, seemingly undisturbed and still standing in full view as the beasts wandered closer, “Don’t worry, Cecilia,” She smiled, “I’m a Herrscher. Have some faith!” She said it easily, casually, an amused lilt to her voice, though that did not prevent the ever so slight ashamed duck of Cecilia’s head. One of the Chariot’s seemed to take notice of the Herrscher, it’s wide, expressionless head turning towards Kiana as she stepped forwards without worry. Kiana slowly raised her hand as the beast approached, “Hey there, buddy,” She said softly. Her companions watched in astonishment as the Chariot leaned down and pressed its head against the palm of the Herrscher of Finality. A soft smile spread across Kiana’s face as she pet the massive creature of destruction. After a moment, this smile was turned to her companions, “Honkai beasts are driven by an irresistible urge to destroy humanity instilled in them by the nature of the Will of Honkai they came from.” The rest of the small herd had begun gathering around them, Bronya’s own amusement dancing within her eyes in tandem with Kiana’s smile as Camellia and the priestesses anxiously gripped their sheathed weapons, “But as a Herrscher, I can soothe this restless urge within them. I can allow them to just... exist. Even to think and make their own decisions. My power enables them to become more than just the weapon they were made to be,” Her voice grew incredibly soft, a quiet bittersweet contemplation that only just barely flitted past Mei’s ears, “Just like me...” Kiana remained there for a moment, lost in thought as she absent-mindedly pet the Honkai beast. Bronya, often the one taking on the job of keeping Kiana on track, seemed content to simply allow her this moment.
Eventually Kiana shook herself from her thoughts and turned back to the group, “Come on, Mei, try it!”
“What?” The priestesses eyes darted nervously between the Herrscher and the Chariot.
“Come here!”
Kiana’s eager gesturing pulled Mei forwards despite the protestations of her more logical thoughts. Her left fist remained tight around the scabbard of her katana, ready to aid a quick draw of the blade should anything go wrong. Yet at the same time the sight of that bright- if still pained- smile suffused her being with a sense of ease. And so it was that as she came to a stop at Kiana’s side she found her fist gradually relaxing and uncurling. She allowed Kiana to take her right hand and guide it upwards, the Herrscher’s smile widening and gaining a loving softness in equal measure. Her palm pressed against the softly curving head of the Chariot Honkai beast, a soft and deep rumble vibrating from somewhere within the creature as she made contact. Her fingers pressed over the low forehead bump that travelled upwards to form the horn that grew from the back of its head. It seemed too fast, too simple, for such an incredible moment as actually touching a pacified Honkai beast. One that had just before been wandering the wilds ready to attack any sign of human civilisation. One that seemed to be... enjoying it? And yet there was no fanfare, no celebration, not even a great acknowledgement from her companions. There was just her racing heart, the confidence of that storm in the back of her mind, the strange sensation of the Honkai beast’s chitin beneath her touch, and the ever present ever welcoming warmth of Kiana’s hand over her own. A warmth she missed almost immediately as Kiana withdrew her touch to allow Mei to glide her hand across the Honkai beast’s armour.
She had touched Honkai beasts before, of course, though that had always been in the midst of battle, trying to hold them back or springboarding off of one to get past its defences. Never before had she simply stopped and taken in the sensation like this. It was smooth just as it appeared, yet she could almost feel the dense lattices beneath that deflected everything except Honkai powered weapons or the heaviest conventional ordinance. The curiosity simmering in the back of her mind was irresistible and Mei found herself embracing the ocean of energy within her gems, letting their power flood her body and opening her up to more than simply subsisting off its trickle of energy once more. Something about being close to a Honkai beast like this seemed to tug on her Honkai energy, like a curious gaze studying her despite the beasts lack of eyes. A sense of... déjà vu? A communication that happened without her knowledge or input. The pink veins along the Honkai beasts armour flickered, a purple spreading through these veins of energy like dye colouring clear water until its usual pink shone this brilliant new hue. And something... once again there was a something tugging at her heart. At unseen memories deep within the gems, at the forgotten shadows deep in her mind, and she found if she concentrated she could feel everything about this beast. The violent urges simmering beneath the peace Kiana had draped over it, the way its Honkai energy swirled and writhed and darted not unlike electrical signals, a familiarity that nuzzled against her mind just as the beast nuzzled into her palm. Confused and more than a little frightened, Mei cautiously withdrew her hand and this sensation of the Honkai beast fled just as easily as the veins of Honkai along its body flooded with pink once more.
“I-” Mei stared at her hand as if it was an alien implement, and then at the Herrscher watching her with a gentle smile upon her lips, “Kiana, what- what was that?”
Kiana laughed softly and returned to petting the Honkai beast herself, “I think she likes you!” A quick glance to the side brought a similarly quick wave a joy in her heart as she beheld Bronya encouraging her priestesses and Camellia just as she was doing with Mei, “It was acknowledging you. The power held in your gems. Just as the Honkai itself takes many forms through its Herrschers, so too can the beasts borne from our energy take after our aspects. What you saw was this Chariot recognising the power of conquest within you. Honkai beasts have always been capable of so much more than humanity gives them credit for.” She eyed Mei with a curious glint to her gaze, “That woman with Sirin? Bella? She is a Honkai beast made using the corpse of the girl that meant the most to Sirin.” Kiana studiously ignored the way her words drew the attention of the rest of the women around her, eyes fixed solely on Mei, “The original Bella was a victim of the lab’s experiments, of course. Benares was not truly Bella, strictly speaking. Yet she had her memories, she had her form. So did it matter? Instead of an all consuming desire to kill like a feral animal, she held an undying loyalty, an unshakeable love, for her Queen who had given ‘Bella’ a second chance. Whether as a mighty dragon or as a human woman, Bella has never left Sirin’s side.” Kiana’s smile was bittersweet, a deeper pain than anything the Will of Honkai could inflict on her dancing within those pink-starred irises, “She’s done quite well coming into her own, and neither I nor Sirin consider that arbitrary line between ‘Bella’ the human and ‘Benares’ the Honkai beast to be of much importance. They are one and the same, and both have Sirin’s love just the same- just don’t tell her I’m telling you this.” Kiana paused just long enough to chuckle softly, “And yet Bella’s still ‘just’ a Honkai beast. What could these Chariots become, I wonder, if permanently freed from the Will of Honkai’s hatred? I think Bella has shown us one answer.” Kiana’s smile grew delighted and her voice carried with it the undertones of joyous laughter, “And I have another in a little white snake who wormed her way into my heart long ago.”
“I...” Mei’s suspicious, ever guarded gaze she held on the beast began to soften, “I didn’t know... I’ve never thought about it before. My whole life has been dedicated to fighting back the creatures of the Honkai. Studying the way they behave like wild and unconstrained animals only capable of acting with violence. Yet here, with you, they’re...” Mei laughed softly, “I suppose it’s yet another piece of my life you have flipped upside down since we met.”
Kiana sheepishly scratched the back of her head, “Well, they’ll certainly be just as dangerous again once we leave, it’s only thanks to my power as a Herrscher that they’re not attacking you on sight for being human. And that huge horde that came through here earlier would have been too large for me to control in my current state. But... when it comes to the beasts that choose to remain in this crater, I do have a bit of help.”
“What do you mean?”
Kiana gestured for the girls to follow her with a tilt of her head, “I’ll show you. Come on everyone! We’ve not yet reached our destination here.”
By the time they had reached their destination, most of the crater was shrouded in shadow thanks to the high peaks of the mountains. Kiana had taken them alongside the dried riverbed they had been following all day, not stopping even as a flock of Archangels dove from the sky to swarm playfully around the two Herrschers. Kiana laughed and even pet a few that nuzzled insistently into her palms, Bronya doing much the same to the apparent annoyance of Project Bunny. The same flock turned its attention to the humans trailing after the Herrschers within a few seconds, an echoing trill coming from one a moment before the Honkai beasts darted towards them. It didn’t take long for Mei’s ears to pick up the soft metallic clink of Isabella gently placing a hand on Cecilia’s sword arm and pushing the girl’s partially drawn rapier back into its sheathe.
For their part, the Archangels seemed completely oblivious to the tension drawing each girl taught like a bow string as they hovered and flitted curiously around the humans. Caihong giggled anxiously as several darted behind her and wriggled under her arms like puppies insisting on getting petted, wings batting playfully against her sides. While the rest of them were beset by one or two of these strangely curious Honkai beasts, Mei found herself walking alongside a full six or so of the creatures who seemed to be taking a particular interest in the priestess. Once again her Honkai energy seemed to react, a strange feeling of recognition simmering in her heart, though she could not tell whether it came from herself or she was sensing something from the Honkai beasts. Violet eyes watched in wonder as the Archangels’ veins of Honkai flashed purple and back to pink in rapid succession in a strangely beautiful pattern flowing down their angular forms. Almost like they were trying to tell her something. Their wings even drooped in what could be interpreted as the creatures emoting when Mei merely tilted her head in confusion and a growing wonder. Was she truly watching Honkai beasts attempting to communicate with her? The thought sent her mind reeling once more.
“Alright girls, we’re here!”
At Kiana’s voice the Honkai beasts seemed to sense the time to frolic was over and they darted away in a blur of white and pink. No longer distracted by the curious flying creatures, Mei took a moment to observe her surroundings. She had mostly been following Kiana on autopilot and had not been paying attention. Neither had the rest of the group judging from Sophia’s reaction.
“Damn, I didn’t notice we’d gotten so close to this thing.”
The priestesses and Valkyrie’s gazed up at the structure before them. It appeared to be a massive boulder rising many times the women’s heights over the riverbed. Along the side facing them the rock had been carved away to form a flat wall with indents like shelving or cupboard holes carved into the face. Kiana silently led them down into the riverbed itself so they could better face the carved face of this massive stone. The rock (or whatever it truly was) felt impossibly large this close, wider than the riverbed itself and embedded so deeply into the earth that the river had never found a way around it. That this thing Kiana had guided them to was the origin of the dried soil and rock they had been following into the mountains seemed like... fate of a sorts. The earth around it was shaped in a similar way to the crater walls they had descended, the soil around the carved face having the distinct look of a curated space. The soil was clearer of pebbles and rocks, the grass had partially reclaimed the land, a scattering of stones looked suspiciously like organised seating, and the closer they got the more it appeared that the carved shelves into the rock had once held objects within them. But the true centrepiece was not the gigantic rock itself. No, that honour was given to the flat rectangular slab that had been placed right in front of it.
And the shattered greatsword that occupied its surface.
Mei stopped alongside Kiana as her legs stilled their movement at the edge of the area, the others spreading out behind them to get their own view of the scene before them. The words she wanted to ask caught in her throat as she turned to her Goddess and spied the deep melancholy in her starry eyes. Project Bunny moved its arm closer so Bronya could rest her hand on Kiana’s shoulder.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Kiana let out a singular note of self-deprecating amusement, “Yeah.” She looked at the moss and weathering upon the stone and the patchy grass struggling to reclaim the soil before shaking her head, “Too long. Look at the state of this place. If I hadn’t-” She bit her lip, “Well, I suppose I shouldn’t dwell on it. She’d probably smack me for worrying over what-ifs and I should’ves.”
Bronya snorted, “Yeah, and you’ve deserved every smack upside the head she gave you.”
Mei allowed her attention to fall away from her friend’s words for a moment as the two Herrschers began another round of bickering. Deep within her gems she could feel that tug on her Honkai energy once more. It wasn’t quite the same as when she had touched the Honkai beasts. Though it was a similar sensation, she could tell it was of a different nature. It tugged not just at her Honkai energy itself, but at something deeper. A sensation in the corner of her mind like nostalgia tugging at a memory and yet all it found was an empty void. An aching emptiness that filled her heart as she gazed at this broken sword that Mei couldn’t understand. The sword was clearly the epicentre of the energy saturating this entire crater. Mei could feel the waves of Honkai energy rolling off of it and out to wash over every inch of this place.
Mei took a step across the border from the riverbed and into the flatter clearing around this... this memorial. One step. Then another. Just as with the Honkai beasts another wave of déjà vu rippled through her nerves, fingers twitching next to her scabbard at the uncomfortable sensation cementing the sinking, twisting feeling that she was missing something. Kiana and Bronya’s bickering and the questioning murmurs of her companions faded into muffled white noise as she approached. Goosebumps raised the hairs on her arms and invisible tendrils of Honkai energy curled around her with a life of its own. The energy of the sword wrapped her in a comforting warmth, that ache in her heart soothed ever so slightly in a moment of familiarity even as the memory that should accompany such sensations continued to elude her. She was certain she had never seen this sword before or felt such a unique Honkai energy signature, so why...?
Why was she crying?
Now standing directly in front of the sword she wiped away the moisture staining her cheeks, eyes soaking in the sight and wandering to drink in every detail as these sensations assaulted her body and mind. The guard of the massive weapon took the form of several stylised spikes on either side of the blade. They pointed downwards along the hand guard that arced alongside the hilt to connect at the pommel like sharp tongues of fire flaring from the base of the blade. The hilt itself made of a ribbed texture to aid in gripping it with a bulge in the centre clearly marking where the wielder should place both hands. The blade itself was curved similarly to a cutlass or perhaps a scimitar, with one edge meant for cutting and the other left blunt with supporting structure along the lower half of the false edge instead of a sharpened blade. However it was apparent its last battle had taken its toll. The blade was broken into five pieces that had been arranged on this display so that there was a couple centimetre gap to maintain the general blade shape while making the separation between each piece clear. A tattered, decaying cloth laid across the slab kept the weapon from directly touching the stone it rested on.
On the sword’s pedestal sat only a singular other object. It was hexagonal in shape, a metal casing supporting the cylindrical plastic in the centre. Some kind of injection device, perhaps? It was incredibly worn, large sections of the metal had rusted away and the plastic was warped by time. And yet still it persisted in its lonely vigil watching over this remnant of a bygone age. Long melted wax marred the carved out shelves in the rock behind it, marking where candles had once been placed in memory of this long fallen warrior. Tattered remnants of fabric and plant fibres showed where flowers and gifts may have once stood, before time took its toll as it always did. The Honkai energy seemed to grasp sadly at her limbs as these observations ran through her mind. The sound of her companions footsteps coming to a stop as they joined her finally snapped her out of her reverie, the sensations retreating like shadows before candlelight as her attention was pulled back to her surroundings with a sniffle and another wipe at her eyes. Now that her focus wasn’t on the sword, her eyes were drawn to the glint of something behind the layer of moss and grime covering the stone.
Slowly she reached out. Gently, firmly, she pulled the moss from the area and wiped her hand across it until the message left embedded in the stone on a rectangle of sheet metal was clear. This too had begun to rust, but not enough to obscure the writing that had been printed on it.
“Fight for all that is beautiful in the world,” Mei murmured the words softly, almost reverently.
“My Lady- er, Kiana,” Isabella began, “This place... I assume it is for the teacher you mentioned. But I don’t see a name plaque or anything else that might identify who exactly is being remembered in this place.”
Kiana smiled softly, eyes dark with a bittersweet nostalgia, “That would be because this was a private place when we first made it. Everyone that knew of its existence already knew who we were gathering for.”
“Then... may I ask who this sword belonged to? I would like to pay proper respect, if I could.””
Kiana hummed an affirmation, “What you see before you is the last remnants of the Herrscher of Fire. A final resting place and memorial. We never found her body, so... we used anything we could find. So that even if the world forgot, her family and friends would always have a place to remember Murata Himeko.”
That name... Mei turned her gaze on the Herrscher, “Himeko... You and Bronya have mentioned that name before.”
“She was our teacher at St. Freya.” Came Bronya’s quiet voice.
Kiana’s eyes rose to meet piercing violet, “She was also the closest thing I had to a mother.” She gained a smile that managed to hold some amusement to it despite the cloud hanging over her every expression, “She was kinda shit at it honestly. I lost track of the amount of times she’d come home drunk after another failed date with some guy. Theresa spent half her time on her case to stop drinking during work as well. A bad habit brought on by the chronic pain of being a Valkyrie with low Honkai resistance. Yet...” Kiana sighed, a glance sliding Bronya’s way before her eyes settled on the sword once more, “Yet she was always there for us when we needed it. With unexpected words of wisdom and an easy smile. A hug. Maybe even a snack. She was far from perfect, but she always supported us the best she could. And when she needed to defend her cherished students, we finally discovered it wasn’t the stigmata that was slowly killing her with Honkai corruption. It was the blazing fire within. One she had resisted for years on end, yet finally embraced in her final hours. She fought back the Herrscher of the Void and defeated her at the cost of her own life. Who knows how much worse the Great Eruption would have been without her sacrifice. Now her memory forever lay protected in these mountains, surrounded by this peaceful scene and Honkai beasts that were attracted to and calmed by the love infused in the Honkai energy she left behind.”
Isabella’s steps were heavy with an understanding reverence as she stepped forward to join Mei in front of the blade and knelt in respect. This was quickly followed by Camellia and the rest of the Moonbeams, “The Herrscher of Fire has long fallen into myth and legend. I always found it... incredibly sad... that after all she sacrificed for humanity we so easily let such a Herrscher fall to the wayside. Even the Herrscher of Flamescion chose a name that would honour her predecessor instead of replace her.” Her voice fell away with a slight turn of her head towards the Herrscher beside her, though she kept her gaze low, “Isn’t that right, My Lady?”
Kiana had to laugh at the woman’s forwardness, “Yes. From Himeko’s sacrifice and love. Her belief that I, her student, could change the world. I inherited the core of Fire and with the flame she had stoked in my heart I blazed a path forwards for humanity.” Kiana smiled softly as Project Bunny gently let Bronya down beside her, the shorter woman smiling up at her as comfortingly as the emotionless woman could, “I wasn’t alone of course.” She placed a thankful hand on her fellow Herrscher’s shoulder, “I had my best friend Bronya. I had the Phoenix- Fu Hua, I had my aunt Theresa Apocalypse, I had the support of doctors Einstein and Tesla as well as the rest of Anti-Entropy, and I had my... my lover... the Herrscher of Thunder. I was never alone.” Her smile grew proud, the light returning to her eyes as she turned to face the mortals around her. They rose back to their feet and attentively met their Goddess’s gaze. Kiana’s back straightened, lips regaining that familiar confident tilt, “I promised Himeko I would bring an end to the wretched story of this world. To give it the happy ending we always wanted. As much as I have stumbled along the way, I have never forgotten that promise.”
Isabella met her confidence with a smile of her own, “I have followed you all my life, My Lady. I will forever be grateful for this chance to meet you. Each moment I spend here I only grow more confident that I made the right choice.”
“H-hey, no need for the flattery,” Kiana stammered and scratched at her reddening cheeks, “I’m just... doing my best.”
Isabella nodded, her smile quickly growing smug as she acquiesced to her Goddess’s pleading eyes and turned to locked her gaze onto Sophia and Cecilia, “Alright you two,” She held her hand out and beckoned them with her fingers, “Time to pay up.”
Kiana’s expression morphed into an adorable look of confusion, “Wait, what?”
Caihong rubbed her hands together gleefully while Sophia sighed in defeat and Cecilia’s face scrunched up in annoyance as both women fished several pieces of paper money from their persons and handed them over to their other two squadmates.
Camellia watched the exchange in disbelief, “You four were making bets?!”
Isabella’s victory shone as a brilliantly pleased smile while she tucked away her reward, “Do you know how long people have been debating whether or not Finality and Thunder were an item? No way I was losing the chance to get one up on Sophia when our Goddess is literally standing right in front of me! Though I’m surprised Cecilia was so stubbornly opposed to the thought.”
Cecilia’s annoyance quickly fell into an affronted frown, “That’s-! I was opposed to assuming the relationship status of the Herrscher of Finality, not the relationship itself!”
Caihong shrugged, “I mean I suppose I see where you’re coming from, but I will gladly take your money regardless,” She said with a grin.
Camellia pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned, “Unbelievable. I’m not even that pious and this still seems extremely blasphemous. Literally in front of your Goddess, no less!”
Kiana laughed, “Oh don’t worry, I can be blasphemous too! You should’ve seen what me ‘n Bronya did to the Herrscher of Sentience shrine outside St. Freya the other decade. Senti was on my ass for years.”
“Don’t drag me into that, Kiana idiotka. That was all you. I only came along to make sure she didn’t level half the city trying to kill you,” Bronya grunted.
Kiana brushed her off with a nonchalant wave of her hand, “Senti couldn’t beat me when she first manifested, she can’t beat me now, I would’ve been fiiinnneee!”
“Need I remind you, idiotka, that you fought her in an illusion that you both completely decimated? Do you want to do that in the middle of Soukai?”
“I would have portaled us into the wastelands or something!”
“Bronya detects bullshit.”
“You’re bullshit!”
Bronya shook her head, “That doesn’t even make sense. Bronya will have to smack what brains you have left back into place in Himeko’s stead.” Bronya’s prosthetics whined softly as she took several threatening steps towards the Kaslana.
“Hey!” Kiana began backing away and raised her hands to ward off the approaching Herrscher, “You do not have to do that! Stay away from me, Bratnya!” When Bronya continued her march forwards, Kiana frantically backed up until she was forced to scramble up the embankment of the dried river to the tune of her companions’ laughter, “Stay back you little devil! Mei, help!”
“Bronya!” Mei called out through her laughter, “We’ve had a tiring day, perhaps wait until tomorrow to punish Kiana?”
Mei’s voice seemed to have an almost immediate effect on the Herrscher, Bronya’s threateningly raised hand dropping back to her side and the woman plodding back over to Project Bunny, “Fine, I suppose, but only because Mei is my friend and not an idiotka Kaslana.”
Mei hid her giggle behind a hand as a pouting Kiana slid back down the riverbank, “Thank you, Bronya. You’re so kind.”
“It is getting pretty late,” Caihong glanced up at the ever darkening sky, pinks and purples beginning to give way to the twinkling of distant stars, “Shall we find a spot to set up camp?”
Kiana sighed and stared in resignation at the embankment her friends were now walking towards, “Aw man, I just came back down...”
Valerie stared coldly at the hologram hovering over her desk. Or, more specifically, the man it had taken the shape of. He stared back expectantly, waiting for the high priestess to respond to his words. After a few heartbeats, she did, “You don’t want me to answer that question, Ryoma.”
The main raised an irritated eyebrow, “No, I do, actually. Let me say it again in case you misheard me: The signal from Mei’s ship disappeared only a few hours into their flight. Your reaction tells me you know something. So I will ask one more time. What. Happened. To my daughter?”
Valerie’s eyes fell closed, her expression was as stoic as ever, yet now a hint of anxiety crept into the lines on her aged face, “Ryoma...” She growled. Yet after this she simply sighed in resignation, “The night Mei and her team left... my office was paid an unexpected visit.”
Ryoma crossed his arms and tapped his fingers impatiently, “And this is relevant to Mei because...?”
“Because I was attacked by the Herrscher of the Void!” She snapped, “She her pet Honkai beast Benares got into my office computer and found our communications on Mei’s whereabouts. That seemed to be the only thing Sirin was after, considering I am still alive.” Valerie’s frown deepened, “Not even ten minutes later and Mei’s signal disappeared.”
This time Ryoma’s eyes fell closed. The lines around his eyes seemed to deepen as he processed this new information, fingers steepled before him and a deep breath the only thing steadying his beating heart, “It is worse than I feared then... At the very least, they should still be alive. I have faith we will hear from them again when their journey is over.” He frowned, “We’ll come back to why you didn’t notify me immediately later.”
Valerie was baffled, “How are you so calm? Sirin could have wiped them all out with the barest twitch of her pinky!”
At this Ryoma’s tense glare shifted into a small, rather smug smile, “Why Valerie, all that sneaking around and probing into House Kaslana’s archives and you still haven’t realised?”
“I’m going to ignore how you might know that. Just spit it out, Ryoma,” The high priestess practically growled, “What are you talking about?”
Ryoma shrugged nonchalantly, “I would have thought you of all people would have figured it out by now.” He leaned back in his seat, his enjoyment clear in the subtle shifting of his posture and the slight creasing of his eyes, “Your Goddess is keeping a closer watch on Mei than either of us could have expected. That is why I have full confidence that this burgeoning team of priestesses and Valkyries Mei has brought together will succeed despite any foe they might encounter.”
Valerie’s eyes narrowed, darting to and fro but focusing on nothing in particular while her thoughts raced, “You don’t mean- no... It’s impossible that such a thing could have slipped under my notice!”
Ryoma hummed thoughtfully, “How embarrassing that Mifumi would notice such a thing before the High Priestess of Finality.”
Valerie’s lips pulled back in anger, however before she could respond a dull rumble echoed through the city, followed a moment later by the blaring of alarms. It was almost like the universe itself was mocking her, piling one heart attack onto another, “Save it, Ryoma. We have trouble here, I’m leaving.” The shimmering visage of Raiden Ryoma quickly winked out of existence before the man’s annoying voice could grace her speakers once more. By the time she had stood from her chair, the door to her office was hissing open to reveal the frantic face of one of her subordinates.
“Your Grace!”
Valerie stepped around her desk and approached the frantic priestess. She met the woman’s panicked call with a steely seriousness, the woman before her gasping for breath, “What is it? What’s going on?”
“It’s the border defences!” In her exhaustion, the priestess collapsed against Valerie as she approached. The high priestess rushed to catch her, whispering for the woman to breathe and gather her wits. Only now at this close proximity did she notice the tangy scent of ozone clinging to the woman and the blackened singes scattered across her clothing, “There’s no time!” She gasped, “We’re being completely overrun by a massive horde of Honkai beasts!”
Valerie instructed the woman to rest before rushing out the door. The hallways were filled with priestesses running to and fro, grabbing weapons, preparing supplies, and gathering into teams before rushing into the city. Valerie followed on the heels of one of these warrior teams as the women hefted their weapons and sped into the courtyard towards the entrance to the temple grounds. The dismay, panic, and frightened determination of the women around her was so thick she could almost taste the twisting emotions on her tongue as she stood on the temple staircase. Her gaze was singularly focused on the horizon, towards Arc city’s border with the Honkai wastelands. Past the skyscrapers and frantic honking of traffic, the fiery light of explosions lit up the evening sky as the city’s defences valiantly struggled against the Honkai. The clouds above were dark and swirled dangerously like a hawk waiting to dive onto its prey. Swirling, curving, flowing, all towards a single point. Even from this distance, Valerie would see the eye of the storm, the clouds forming a circular wall in the sky around a viscous display of lightning. Bolts darted between the clouds, bouncing from storm wall to storm wall, arcing under the grey, flashing towards the ground. The constant rumble of thunder sent an unnerving bass through her bones. There was only one being in the mortal realm still capable of displaying such a mastery over lightning.
Valerie bared her teeth in a defiant growl, “Benares.”