Chapter Text
The Herrscher of the afterlife had long been an enigma in the eyes of humanity. They knew she existed, certainly. There were a few recorded cases throughout the last several thousand years of the Herrscher of Rebirth appearing to humanity in all her glory. She was powerful no doubt, one should never underestimate the abilities of the being who holds sway over the very concepts of life and death. Yet her duty was one of contradiction, if the legends are to be believed. They tell that the Herrscher has spoken of a time before she had taken her place as guardian of the afterlife. A time when the Honkai would feed and grow off of every human soul, for everything connected to this land suffered the corrupting touch of the Honkai. Humanity’s great foe, the Void Queen, was said to have relished in destruction not purely out of sadistic glee, but because such large loss of life allowed her to grow even further in power.
That is, until Rebirth was born to guide the human soul to rest free from the troubles of the Honkai, her realm of death fed by the lives of mortals like a river emptying into a bottomless ocean. And just as she held dominion over the dead, so did her other aspect preside over life itself. And thus, the contradiction of a Herrscher- one who commands the Honkai- who’s purpose prevents the Honkai from gaining strength as it once did.
As her name might suggest, there have always been rumours and theories that part of this cycle was a quite literal rebirth. Reincarnation. However there has never been enough evidence to prove these theories- though not for lack of trying on humanity’s part. Together these two aspects of the Herrscher maintained the delicate balance of life and death that humanity had so come to love and despise in equal measure. Rebirth is said to maintain her own realm beyond Death, beyond the sight of a mere human, one humanity has dubbed the Evergrowth. A wondrous and expansive garden where she may cultivate all sorts of strange and fantastic life to better understand how to care for and shepherd the living for whom she served as a guardian. What fantastic realms could there be for beings such as them to explore? To guide? To judge? Humanity could only wonder, for all of the Thirteen Herrschers kept such secrets close to the chest. Most weren’t even sure what exactly the Lady of Rebirth looked like, though ancient documents and art has depicted her as a young woman clad in a flowing dress of either black or white. It depended on whether she was representing Rebirth or Death. Content to exist away from prying eyes, judging each soul in a place mortals could never hope to reach in life, though there were rumours that the missing Herrscher of Flamescion (or Flame-turned-Finality depending on who one asked) had ventured into the realm of Death and returned unharmed with a loved one in tow.
That did not stop the rumours, the tales, or the legends, of course. Whispered warnings that those that insulted the Herrscher of Rebirth quickly found themselves victims of Honkai plagues, or a deadly mist that corroded the physical and ate away at your very soul if inhaled, and all manner of other terrible things. The ire of Death was not something to take lightly. Yet just as Death could snuff out life in an instant, so too could Rebirth hold it at bay. A farmer might find their crops unnaturally robust, their yield greater than any before. A veterinarian a remarkable, near supernatural skill at treating animals. A warrior that had curried the favour of Rebirth was capable of fighting through wounds that would have long ended any other mortal. Their wounds closing at remarkable speed and the weariness fleeing their muscles. Though such strength did not come without toeing the line with death, a line that will inevitably be crossed.
And so, it is said, that particularly remarkable figures in life will be personally guided by a manifestation of the Lady of Death to their final rest. A figure of fear, destruction, and inevitability, and yet in this moment she garners a sombre awe. For death is but another part of what it means to be human. And in those moments, whether it be a last stand for the ages or the quiet sigh of a life well lived, the Herrscher of Rebirth will provide a final judgement of their being. It is believed that most souls live on in a land free of troubles where spirits live on in a content bliss, though no longer what might be considered “human”. Mere representations of the life they once lived within the Herrscher’s Snowy Garden- so named for the light blue colour spirits are believed to take on. On either extreme from this it is said the Herrscher reserves two areas of the realm of Death for those who were particularly virtuous or sinful. Those the Herrscher judges as remarkably virtuous will be granted passage to the Elysian Fields where they will retain their humanity and bask in eternal reward, watched over by mighty heroes of a time long past. The egregiously sinful, however, are forever trapped within Naraka to be forever tormented by the Herrscher’s aspect of Death for their transgressions. Many have questioned the apparent difference in naming convention, yet the Herrscher is too elusive to provide an answer herself. Scholars have been forced to simply accept that it seems to come from the same ancient language as the name for some Honkai beasts such as the Emperor-class Parvati. Rebirth remained- as always- mysterious, elusive, kind one day, spiteful the next.
Yet none of this could have prepared the High Priestess of Finality for what it truly meant to stand in the presence of the aspect of Death herself.
As she knelt in respect, her mind raced. The Principal of St. Freya had such favour that the Herrscher of Rebirth would willingly manifest at her call? It beggared belief. Even Finality, the most affable of the Thirteen Herrschers, almost never did such a thing for a single individual. Durandal the Palatinus Equinox or the Celestial Phoenix were much more likely to walk among humanity. Even Kaslanas claiming to be descended from the Herrscher herself struggled to gain such physical attention. Yet the physical presence of the Lady of Life and Death was so overwhelming, she had to wonder if the Moon Goddess kept her visits rare on purpose. She had sunk to her knees not just out of respect, but because merely looking at the woman filled her heart with such a deep seated dread it felt as if her very soul might unravel should the woman stay within her sight.
“My Lady,” Seele began, almost seeming to have a teasing lilt to her voice, though such a thing seemed too impossible to the mere mortals present, “If you could help aid the defenders in solidifying their defences and give me time to begin healing the wounded before focusing on Bella, that would be greatly appreciated.”
The Herrscher scoffed, “Ugh, fine.” Before melting back into the shadows. The incredible, terrifying, near panic inducing pressure that seemed to press against all their minds disappeared in an instant.
It took several seconds for Valerie to gather herself before she began to push herself back to her feet. As she rose she found gentle- but firm- hands aiding in her rise. Raising her gaze she was met with the deep blue of Seele’s own. The girls face still held an easy smile.
“I apologise if she was a bit much,” Seele said, “She always gets rather cranky when I drag her back to this realm.”
Ana nodded, “We are no worse for wear, so I believe all is well. Besides, this is not the first time I have encountered Lady Death.”
Seele hummed an affirmative, studiously ignoring the astonished looks the Valkyries gave their leader, “Well, I believe I should follow her. While she is much more suited for combat, I can help tend to the wounded. Once the Hyperion arrives we shall have the full support of St. Freya’s medical Valkyries and nearly a dozen Valkyrie assault squads. It shouldn’t be too difficult to hold out until then.”
Valerie cleared her throat, “Yes, I cannot imagine simple Honkai beasts will put up much of a fight against a Herrscher.”
Seele nodded, “They won’t. But do not underestimate Bella, whom you know better as the Honkai Dragon Benares. While she might not be able to match a Herrscher in raw power, a Judgement-class Honkai beast that has lived for this long is nothing to scoff at.” She paused just long enough to cast her gaze towards squad Snow Lotus, “Ana, you may begin.”
“Of course, Principal,” Ana replied. She nodded to her squad and the four Valkyries ran towards the edge of the three-story tall landing pad and leap to the city below.
Seele returned her smile to Valerie, “Ana has come a long way from the timid girl she once was. I am proud. Now then, I shall get going as well.” She handed a small slip of paper to the high priestess, “This is the radio frequency I and Snow Lotus use so we may keep up communication.” Her expression fell into something more sombre, “This may not be as easy a fight as we hope. We do not know the exact location of the Herrscher of the Void, but she is never too far from her Bella. Let us pray things do not become as destructive as a clash between two Herrschers, though I fear a confrontation with Sirin may be inevitable.”
Valerie nodded, the nature of such an event clear in the hardening lines on her face, “May the silver light brighten your path, Madame Vollerei,” She ended with a bow.
Seele returned it with a shallow bow of her own, “And yours as well, high priestess.”
“GET DOWN!”
Priestess and militia soldier alike dove to the ground as a hail of catapult bombs blew apart the cars they had been using as cover. Several militia were unable to retreat far enough and had suffered severe burns and shrapnel injuries, yet more casualties they could not afford. What people could move quickly scrambled back to their feet, blades and firearms frantically forming a deadly wall for the waves of Honkai beasts to break against. Cavalry formed of Honkai zombies atop an angular mockery of a horse would break past the sparse line of Priestesses only to be mowed down by the militia behind them. Yet with every clash, some of the beasts would get lucky. Another soldier gored on a lance, an archangel distracting a priestess just long enough for a Chariot to land a bone crushing hit, archer zombies catching those out of cover, the priestesses worn down and losing ground as they were overpowered by successive battles with Jun-Ninja type zombies in the midst of everything else.
Incoming reinforcements were beginning to slow to a trickle as the Honkai spread through the northern end of Arc city, forcing its defenders to spread themselves thin in an attempt to prevent the Honkai beasts from flanking their positions. Their desperate cries in the face of the forces arrayed against them was only matched by the ferocity at which they fought back regardless.
Yet much like a cliff-face is slowly eroded over time, so was this wall of human stubbornness gradually eroding under this brutal tide of Honkai crashing against it again and again.
That made it all the more frightening when, after hours of being slowly pushed back by the seemingly endless horde, the unrelenting assault abated. The Honkai beasts faltered, stumbled, almost... hesitant. Or by the disquieted vocalisations, even... afraid?
This terror was not only for the Honkai beasts, however. Like a blanket of night, a dark mist billowed from within the city behind the defenders. It carried with it a shadow of horror, the militia and priestesses tensed and wary as tendrils of this mist curled around their feet. Combat slowed to a halt now that the Honkai beasts were no longer approaching, this new phenomena grabbing the attention of all across the entire city battlefront. A deathly quiet blanketing the chaos that had rung loud in the ears of all just moments before. Through buildings, across rubble, past the legs of human defenders, this mist slithered and writhed and beckoned forth a primal dread from all that experienced it. Hearts raced, breathing quickened, those of a weaker mental fortitude began to panic. The defences came alive with the desperate murmurs of prayer. The names of many Herrscher’s fluttered across the battlefield; The Herrscher of Finality, of Wind, Reason, Thunder, Ice. But one seemed to get a reaction out of the very mist that now floated past their shins.
Rebirth.
Those who stood on ground enveloped by the mist dared not move, they barely dared to breathe, even as some continued to whisper prayer. The flow of the mist suddenly, inexplicably, picked up speed as if blown forth by a gale. Tendrils shot past the Honkai beasts, and as the mist engulfed them their lives began to... dim. The brilliant veins of Honkai energy lost their lustre as the beasts were engulfed by the mist, the brilliant white of their chitin armour turned muted and dull. And as this dulling of their lives turned them grey, so too did they begin to crumble and disintegrate. One by one they filled the air with dust and particles of Honkai energy until the streets before the defenders appeared like a hazy day in an ancient smog shrouded city. Cries of astonishment tore from the human’s throats as this darkness billowed upwards and engulfed everything, obliterating the Honkai who had captured the skies before billowing forwards like a great wave.
High above the city outskirts, within the swirling maelstrom crackling and flashing with electricity, Bella’s expression twisted into a disgusted sneer as she beheld the cheers and celebrations of the humans far below as the dark mist flooded the streets all throughout Arc city, accompanied by the grunts and astonished vocalisations of Honkai beasts as their very being was erased from existence. The mist did not quite reach the entirety of the city, halting and leaving a band of about two kilometres before the edge of the city. Instead the mist curved sharply upwards high enough to reach a dozen metres above the highest of skyscrapers, forming a secondary perimeter wall of pure death between the Honkai and the city’s remaining population in all directions. For a city large enough to house over fifteen million people, this was no small distance.
“So you can weather brute force,” Bella sneered to the empty air, “I see the game you two are playing.” The lightning around her cracked and writhed with renewed intensity, the clouds of charged energy stretching further across the sky. A duo of opposing shows of strength glaring at each other from the ground and the sky, each daring the other to make the first move. This was not the first time she had attempted to face the Herrscher of Death. Bella was determined to ensure it would not be the last. Her Queen had forbid her from dying, after all.
Ana’s eyes darted back and forth as the four Valkyries darted through the shadows of burning skyscrapers. Such a large portion of the northern end of the city had been decimated by Benares’s Honkai beasts it would take weeks just to put out the fires. Ana hummed quietly to herself as she observed the silent streets. Abandoned vehicles choked the streets and the ground was littered with the bodies of those that were unable to escape the Honkai beasts. Scattered among them were bodies of the retreating perimeter garrison and brave priestesses of Finality that had rushed into the EMP deadzone in an attempt to rescue more civilians. However, the silent streets were also completely free of Honkai beasts.
“They mists of Death certainly did their job,” One of her squadmates commented.
Ana did not recall her name, though her violet eyes framed by choppy dark brown hair were rather striking. It was not particularly because she didn’t care. She did care about humans still, somewhat. But most of her missions were so dangerous she either worked alone or came back the only survivor. These three women were simply the next in a long line of replacements, and over the years Ana found herself keeping greater and greater distance from those she fought alongside. She had frozen her heart years ago. It was... better that way.
Ana nodded to the woman, choosing her words carefully, “The Herrscher of Rebirth does not disappoint. Now it’s our turn. We must pass through the mist. Move quickly and do not breathe it in.”
The three women nodded. One- a girl with stark white hair- smiled confidently, “We’re ready, Major.”
The Valkyries were swift, their movements faster than any normal human as they sprinted through the thick mists of death with filled lungs. The wall of death was a dozen metres thick and the Valkyries enhanced bodies cleared it with little trouble, though they waited until they were a good distance on the other side before relieving their burning lungs. Now on the other side they found themselves on a two-lane road splitting off from one of the large main highways winding through the megacity. Almost immediately they were spotted by Honkai beasts that had either escaped the mist or come in from the wastelands.
Ana wasted little time unslinging the large rifle from her back as her squad attacked with greatsword, poleaxe, and dual pistols. A single blast tore a templar’s shield from its body and the second put it down for good. The rest of this small group of Honkai beasts fared little better. The enhanced strength and Honkai powered weapons of the Valkyries tore through the beasts with far greater ease than the militia or priestesses of Finality had managed. Within seconds they were moving on. Besides this forced initial encounter, the Valkyries stuck to the shadows. They wove expertly through the city, avoiding Honkai beast patrols and steadily moving further towards the northern perimeter over the next hour. The storm above them was worsening over time, the clouds crackling with unnatural amounts of lightning. Every so often a barrage bolts would fly from the clouds and crash against the wall of dark mist only to be harmlessly absorbed. Though the mist did not extend high enough to touch the clouds, the storm had formed a ring around the city as if some force held it back regardless.
But that was not important to Ana. She and her team had found a good location near the fried perimeter defences and had quietly set themselves up atop the twenty metre high defensive wall. The impressive battlements had seen better days, now riddled with holes and collapsed in certain places from where the hordes of Honkai beasts had forced themselves through. The top of the wall was a wide space, large enough for plenty of soldiers to fight alongside the large guns or even bring up extra artillery of their own behind the lines. It was here, in the shadow of one of these massive double-barrelled guns, that Ana had found the perfect angle into the eye of the storm. Her squad kept their eyes peeled for any unwanted guests as Ana crouched and braced her weapon against the top of the crenellations.
Her movements were quick, practised, a professional who had the process down to a science. The soft hum of the Honkai energy coursing through the rifle’s components vibrated softly through her bones as she peered through her scope. Within the bright crackling of lightning jumping from cloud wall to cloud wall in the swirling eye was the central buzz of light that marked her target. Benares was still several kilometres away, but her scope allowed her just enough clarity to see the Honkai beast’s frown. The wind was a gentle breeze here on the ground, however the sky was another matter. Ana adjusted her aim to the side to allow the clockwise hurricane of wind around the eye to guide her shot to its target. Her finger slid through the trigger guard and ever so gently began to depress the trigger.
The bulky Honkai rifle released its deafening roar the same instant Benares’s gaze locked with her own through the scope.
Ana’s body snapped to the women behind her with a frantic tension, “MOVE!”
The Valkyries barely had time to take a step before a woman wreathed in lightning crashed upon one of the women with the clap of thunder and the screeching crunch of metal and bone being ground to dust. Benares’s eyes were alight with the chaotic fury of the Honkai. She moved as quickly as the lightning jumping across her body. A twinge of regret shot through Ana’s frozen heart as she watched Bella’s boots leave the crushed body of the girl with the greatsword. However, Benares left no time for them to grieve. She brought her rifle to bear as the woman darted towards her companions. The rapid fire of the girl with dual pistols flew around her, too slow to catch a being that was like living lightning in motion. Bella closed the distance between her and the white-haired Valkyrie in only a second. Ana’s battlesuit surged with power as she brought her weapon to bear and squeezed off a desperate shot. The powerful Honkai shrouded bullet clipped one of the woman’s draconic wings with a sizzle of electricity. Benares flinched, and the clawed hand she swung at the Valkyrie missed by a hair’s breadth as she ducked under it, let off several shots from her pistols directly into Benares’s chest, and slammed a kick into her abdomen. These attacks did not seem to do more than make the draconic woman stumble back a few steps, yet it was just enough to allow the last Valkyrie to hastily thrust her poleaxe into Benares’s shoulder. The Valkyrie attempted to pull away as the Honkai dragon roared in anger, but a chitinous hand latched onto the haft of her weapon as it left already healing flesh. Ana took aim once more only for Benares to bodily shift the both of them to position her squadmate between them before yanking on the weapon and launching a kick of her own. The Valkyrie’s breath was driven from her lungs as Benares launched her backwards, and Ana was forced to leap to the side to avoid being pinned underneath the woman and her heavy armour.
“Oh no you don’t!” The white-haired woman jumped back into the fray, peppering Benares with bullets from above and swinging her leg up to drop another kick upon the Honkai dragon. Nearly as quickly, Ana rolled to her feet and let loose another shot.
Benares seemed to be expecting this and darted around the Honkai bullets with successive flashes of lightning. The Valkyrie landed from her missed kick, smoothly shifting her momentum to chase Benares’s dodge with several more kicks punctuated by shot after shot, only for her neck to be easily caught in a vice grip, “Foolish human,” The dragon growled, “All this time and you insects still believe I can be defeated by Kaslana Gun Kata?”
The girl wheezed as the hand tightened around her neck. The powerful bark of Ana’s sniper rifle once again thundered loud in their ears and Benares dropped the woman with another roar of anger. The Valkyrie scrambled backwards, eyes catching on the new wound in Benares’s side. There was no blood. Instead the circular bullet wound was surrounded by the angular patterns of Honkai infection, like the lines were the woman’s body cracking from the force of the blow.
This did not seem to slow the woman down in the slightest, however. Benares launched herself at the retreating Valkyrie, a bolt of lighting leaping from her body and knocking Ana’s next shot off course as it flew towards her. Her fist crashed into the woman’s abdomen. Despite the air rushing from her lungs from the sheer force, the woman still managed to squeeze off another shot directly into Benares’s face, the bullet knocking her head back with a superficial scratch left behind. The Valkyrie flew hard and fast, hitting the massive defence gun behind Ana with a sickening thud and collapsing into a heap. Her eyes fluttered open ever so slightly, but she only groaned in pain and did not move. The final Valkyrie stepped to rush forward only to be halted by Ana.
“Step back,” Ana commanded.
Bella made a fist and coursed more lightning down her arm as she stared back at Ana, “Why did you even bring them, Lady Schariac? Do you take pleasure in watching mortals suffer? You must have known they stood no chance from the get-go. Not against me.”
Ana’s expression remained a stony neutrality, “They all knew the risks.”
“Schicksal sending its Valkyries on another suicide mission,” Bella sneered, “Why am I not surprised? Do you feel nothing that Schicksal sent you along with sacrifices? Did they even know?”
At this Ana’s expression finally slipped into a frown, “They knew the dangers of facing Benares. But they were... unaware... that Schicksal leadership did not expect them to return with me. A Judgement-class as long lived as you... regular mortals cannot hope to compete.”
“Major?” The woman stared at her superior with a betrayed astonishment plastered all over her face.
Bella bared her teeth, “And so they sent you. Look at you! Even I am capable of feeling remorse when I send my Queen’s mortal followers into peril. But you? Do you feel anything at all?” Bella scoffed, “And they call me the monster.”
Ana placed a hand against her chest, as if trying to feel for a heartbeat, a small shadow of distress passing over her face, “I don’t know. It has been difficult for me to feel as a human does for... a long time. Since... since the Herrscher of Corruption pit her strength against mine two millennia ago and I lost control.” Her gaze returned to the furious Honkai beast woman, “But regardless, I will stop you.”
Bella seemed to find this rather amusing, “Tapping into your Core? For what? To stall me? Is Seele too scared to face me herself?”
Ana’s eyes narrowed, “No. I will- I must continue to prove myself worthy of calling myself a guardian of humanity.”
Bella’s face twisted into a sneer once more and she gestured towards the crumpled bodies of her two other squadmates, “Guardian of humanity?” She scoffed.
Almost immediately the temperature around the women dropped dramatically. Ana’s eyes came aglow with an inner light. She turned to her subordinate once more, “Make sure she’s alright,” She gestured towards the white-haired woman, “And stay back.”
Despite the hurt and anger dancing in her eyes the Valkyrie rushed to secure her companion.
The glow in Ana’s eyes steadily increased in intensity, wind picking up speed and whipping at her dress as the temperature continued to plummet until frost formed on the metal around Ana’s feet. The glow was terrifying in its depth, and yet there was something about it that gave the distinct impression of... hollowness. A strange emptiness that seemed intent on swallowing all who looked upon it. The ice spread outwards several metres, Bella’s breaths now puffing with condensation as particles of ice and snow drew out a swirling maelstrom around her Valkyrie opponent.
Bella spread her stance and dropped low before dashing forwards in another blur of electricity.
Her clawed hand shot forward at blinding speed, and yet even that wasn’t enough. There was a sharp crack and within that split second before she made contact her arm had been encased by a wall of ice. She broke free with another burst of lightning channelled down her arm, but was forced to jump back as more ice burst into existence before Ana’s feet. Bella’s lungs released a sharp exhale of surprise as the pointed tip of the ice came dangerously close to her face while she threw herself backwards.
Ana herself had one hand pressed against her face, covering one side and puffing hard from exertion. The single eye that was still visible glowed with an intense, powerful anger. Her lips were pulled back into a furious snarl of her own as she raised her hand towards Bella. The dragon reacted quickly. Ana clenched her fist the same moment Bella took to the skies, the wickedly sharp icicles that had appeared around her hitting only empty air. Bella looked down with the first hint of concern on her face as she beheld the way the icicles easily pierced the reinforced metal of the defensive wall.
Yet as she watched on Ana did not attempt to follow or even launch another attack. Both hands pressed against her face now, and the howling wind carried with it a much more human howl of anguish. Ana stumbled, teeth grinding, hands pressing against her head as if trying to physically hold herself together. Something about the hollowness of the light in her eyes appeared distinctly inhuman, even to a Honkai beast such as Bella.
“You will not know victory!” Ana growled through her strained grunting and heavy breaths. Her voice was strange. Echoing. Like the wails of a woman trapped within an icy prison of her own making.
Yet as more ice began to form upon her limbs, the battle was decided for them.
The shadow that passed over their battlefield was the only warning. Benares reacted quickly, but not quickly enough to completely avoid the barrage of canon fire that crashed against her in a wave of kinetic cacophony. From the sky descended a shape that brought with it another swell of fury from the draconic woman. The smoke from the attack cleared, Bella seemingly no worse for wear besides a few scuffs and sporting a furious scowl.
“The Hyperion?!” The massive flying Battleship lowered itself parallel with the outside of the perimeter wall, just enough that Bella could spot the woman standing upon the edge of the deck.
“Give up, Bella,” Amber Kaslana called down to her, “I don’t want to hurt you.” Amber pointed her scythe towards the woman to emphasise her point.
Bella clicked her tongue in irritation, “Fine. I have all the time in the world, Valkyries,” She snarled. Another blinding flash of lightning and Bella was gone.
Amber took the opportunity to leap from the Hyperion’s deck to the battlements below. Snow and ice still swirled dangerously around a heavily panting and straining Ana. Amber, however, walked right into this small maelstrom without breaking her stride.
“Miss Ana,” Amber intoned softly, “The fight is over. I can assure you your power is no longer required at this point in time.”
Ana stared back with hollow, glowing eyes. Her teeth grit, fingers trembling from where they pressed against her head. Ana clenched her eyes shut and let out a groan of effort, shaking her head and seeming to mouth “No” repeatedly to herself. Amber watched on patiently and within a few seconds the harsh weather whipping around them dissipated into nothingness. When Ana opened her eyes once more they had lost their inner light.
Amber nodded to herself, “Good. Our medical team will handle your squad, you rest your mind.”
Ana simply allowed her legs to fold where she stood, collapsing against the battlement beside her.
While concerned for the woman, Amber would not let herself grow distracted. She activated her communication device and began efficiently doling out orders as Valkyries landed beside her to carry Snow Lotus onto the battleship. It was time for the Hyperion to get to work.
It was a rather nice change to be walking along a grassy riverbank, the mountain air caressing their faces with it’s sharp chill, and docile Honkai beasts watching curiously from the shade of the trees. Mei could not help the pleased little smile on her face at the weight and warmth of Kiana’s hand in her own. Sophia watched on from several metres behind as Kiana playfully knocked shoulders with Mei and pointed to something along the river, the women giggling together in response to something Kiana said.
She leaned over to Isabella and half murmured through the side of her mouth, “So what level of blasphemy is it to fuck a Herrscher?” Though her words still came out loud enough that the other Moonbeams and Camellia heard them clearly.
Isabella snorted, “I don’t think they went quite that far, Soph.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Sophia straightened back up, “We probably would have heard our Lady across the whole camp, huh?”
“I will kindly ask you to shut your mouth only once,” Cecilia snapped, “You are the one edging towards blasphemy, Sophia. I do not need that image in my head. Our Lady is dignified, wise, and responsible. Not...”
The five women watched as Kiana leapt onto Mei’s back, giggling wildly as the priestess stumbled at the sudden weight and kisses raining down on her cheek. The rapid movement only facilitated Mei’s downfall, and both women toppled into the dew damp grass, Mei’s own giggles now bubbling from her chest as Kiana rolled on top of her.
“Not a lovestruck schoolgirl?” Isabella offered.
Cecilia scowled at her leader but said nothing.
“I mean,” Caihong shrugged, the group still watching as Mei pulled Kiana back to her feet and they continued walking hand in hand beside Bronya and Project Bunny, “Sure the high priestess probably wouldn’t be happy with speaking to Our Lady without proper respect, but... does Mei’s ‘disrespect’ matter when it’s so obvious Our Lady enjoys it?”
Isabella bobbed her head and shrugged in acceptance, “Yeah, I’ve had that thought myself. Our respect and reverence for the Herrschers has been ingrained in us for our whole lives, yet if we want to respect Our Lady’s wishes, then we should be calling her Kiana and not ‘Our Lady’. Whether we consider it improper or not, it is what she asked of us.”
Camellia’s voice joined them then, the Valkyrie speaking with a contemplative tone not often heard from the woman, “The more time we spend with her, the more I think all this propriety is purely a result of our worship of her instead of something she ever actually wanted.”
“Enough!” Cecilia snapped, “I don’t want to hear any more!”
“Alright, alright,” Isabella held up a placating hand, “Lets drop it for now, girls. We can argue after we make camp. For now just keep an eye out and lets make sure our two lovebirds don’t accidentally walk off a cliff once we get out of this crater, yeah?”
Three days.
That was how long it had been since they’d left the crater with the Herrscher of Fire’s memorial. Three days of attempting to sneak past more groups of Honkai beasts (it was a coin flip on whether they were successful now that the Herrschers struggled to keep large groups under control outside the crater). Three days of terrain that only seemed to grow more treacherous as they ventured deeper into the mountain range. Three days of the air growing heavier as a strange feeling of wrongness and paranoia simmered in the back of their minds the deeper they ventured. Were the rumours of Sirin’s hatred lingering within these mountains true?
Their journey had slowed further as the more time went on the more they were forced to stop to allow Kiana and Bronya to rest. Their struggle with the Will of Honkai seemed to only be intensifying and the pulsing and writing of energy within their ethereal wounds increased to match. The further they went, the more the Moonbeams were taking advantage of these rests as well. They had taken up the burden of fighting off any Honkai beasts that spotted them while Mei, Camellia, and Project Bunny protected their supplies and the two Herrschers. There was a tension in their shoulders ever since the crash, though Mei was unsure if it was her place to comment as much. Cecilia and Sophia continued to throw themselves at the beasts, sometimes even unnecessarily when stealth would have served them a bit better. Isabella and Caihong seemed just as eager for a fight, though to a lesser extent. Mei did consider that maybe she was being anxious over nothing, but such worry for her companions had always been something she could not help. Camellia too, seemed to be coiling with more and more tension. The Moonbeams had always been much more skilled than she, but Mei had taken it upon herself to be there to support them with a snack and a carefully chosen area to rest when they returned. Nothing ever got past them to threaten the Herrschers and their guards anyways.
Yet the growing familiarity of this routine they had fallen into the last few days was smashed like the shock of jumping into freezing water when they stumbled across the first body.
It was in a dangerously rocky area along the side of one of the mountains. The rock formations formed a bridge across a cliff that seemed almost designed to be just tall enough to kill them at the smallest mistake. On the other side was a shallow tunnel through a portion of the rock, and tucked away against the cliff-face, just under the shelter of the outcropping leading into the tunnel, sat the skeletal remains of a human. It was propped up against the rock as if they had sat down to rest and never woke back up, though their arm was slung across their abdomen like one might when pressing against a wound. The uniform was much darker than the stark white of the priestesses standing before it, much more similar to Camellia’s Valkyrie uniform in colour. Black with white highlights along the edges of the collar and buttoned up front with a scattering of purple star designs snaking down the arms where they gradually combined into solid purple cuffs as if falling into an ocean.
Camellia was the first to speak the thoughts of all present, “I believe we’ve found your lost expedition.” She glanced at the priestesses.
Isabella moved to take a knee next to the skeleton. The uniform was weathered and tattered, yet the condition was not too bad all things considered. The benefits of being infused with Honkai energy. The leader of the Moonbeams moved carefully so as to not disturb this fallen woman of Finality. After a moment of leaning to and fro to study the remains she spoke, “Yeah, this is them.” She motioned towards a patch affixed to the left shoulder, “Patch says she was part of the 82nd Expeditionary Force.”
Kiana hummed softly to herself, “You all have gotten much more militaristic than I remember, though I suppose that’s to be expected when you’re against the Honkai.”
Isabella sighed as she pushed herself back to her feet, “Yeah, we kinda drifted towards a weird sort of blend between religious authority and structured fighting force with how often we end up working with local defence forces against the Honkai. Happened a long long time ago if I remember my history right. This is how it’s been for my entire life.” Her gaze trailed over the tunnel besides them, expression falling further as she peered through the opening, “And it looks like a lot of them didn’t make it past here, considering all the torn up tents down there.”
The women tentatively stepped through the small pathway and found themselves walking down a shallow slope into a much wider open area shaded by the protective wall of the mountainside to their right. The air was... strange. As if the tunnel forced them to step through some kind of invisible barrier in a culmination of the steadily rising paranoia that had plagued them since they left the crater. There was a barely noticeable resistance as they stepped into this wider area. Only for a moment. But that coupled with the strange shivering wrongness that crawled through the women brought with it meeting looks of confusion and disturbed caution. Within this space was a collection of at least a dozen tents coloured with the same patterns as the uniform they had just discovered. Spread throughout the space, these tents were worn, tattered, and bore marks of slashes and bullet holes having torn through the protective fabric. Yet that was nothing compared to what surrounded these tents. Across the floor was littered broken supply boxes, firearms and melee weapons long abandoned and rusting. Beside those lay what remained of the camps inhabitants. Dozens of uniformed remains lay scattered across the area, some like they had fought back against whatever killed them, some having fallen as they attempted to scramble out of their tent, some looking to have fallen where they’d stood as if caught off guard, their weapons still in their sheaths or slung around their bodies.
Kiana’s brows pinched in distress as her gaze trailed over this frozen snapshot of decades old destruction, “Fuck...” Her eyes darted across the remains for a moment, eyes glowing softly as she observed with a sight beyond sight. Bronya simply rested a hand against her bicep, her usual emotionless expression having gained a sharpness to it as she too scanned what remained of this camp.
“Spread out,” Isabella commanded, “See if you can find anything that will tell us what happened here.”
The Moonbeams and Camellia cautiously made their way into the decimated camp, fanning out but remaining within reasonable distance to each other just in case. Mei shared a concerned look with Kiana, and at her Goddess’s nod, Mei left her side to join the search.
Sophia and Caihong had come to a halt in front of some of the ruined tents, eyes tracing over the slashed and burns and holes that seemed to riddle everything. Sophia frowned at what remained of a body draped across the tent entrance, “By the Goddess, what the hell happened?”
Caihong knelt down next to the body and chanced pulling the gently swaying fabric of the tent entrance to the side to peer within. After a moment she shook her head in dismay. Her eyes darted across the chaotic mess inside, the destroyed fabric, more slashes on the uniform of the priestess in the entrance, “These slashes and bullet holes... with how some of these bodies are laying you’d think they got ambushed by Honkai beasts but I don’t see any Honkai residue or feel any lingering Honkai energy. At least, not in the amounts that are usually left behind by a horde large enough to have taken out a camp full of Finality’s best priestesses.”
“Judgement-class Honkai beast?” Camellia ventured from further in the camp.
Sophia looked incredulous, “Judgement-class? Those things can wipe out whole countries by themselves, there’s no way something like that is just chilling in these mountains without Schicksal or Anti-Entropy knowing.”
“No,” Cecilia’s hardened tone came from where she was knelt studying some of the fallen weapons, “Or, at least, if this was caused by the Honkai it is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
Within seconds Isabella was standing next to her squadmate, “Did you find something, Cecilia?”
“These weapons don’t have any kind of Honkai residue remnants on them like they should,” Cecilia gestured to the Honkai powered sword in question. Specifically, she pointed towards dark flecks that dotted the blade, difficult to make out through the rust that had been eating away at it, but still noticeable enough if one looked closely. A different blend to the colour, a certain difference in texture, “This is blood. Dried and discoloured from how long it’s been. But look at the ground around the blade,” She traced her finger along more discolouration along the ground, a dark almost grey splotch staining the stone.
“There’s more over here,” Camellia called, having continued moving further into the camp, “I thought it was just some discolouration of the rock, but it’s all over the place. No Honkai residue, just these splashes and streaks that have lost their colour over the decades.” She pointed and traced along the discolouration as she spoke and the others joined her, “Some is still pooled under the bodies, there’s this one that looks like someone was dragged out of their tent and bled all over everything. And the further you go into camp the more there’s this weird powdery substance coating everything in a thin layer.”
“Powder?” Mei frowned and scanned the very sight Camellia had pointed out.
“I don’t know how else to describe it. Sometimes it’s like it reflects a golden light, then the next time I look at it it’s like it absorbs no light at all. Right now it looks like snow to me. Sometimes it’s like... I see it floating in the air and reflecting the light of the sun in the corner of my eye, but when I focus on it nothing is there,” The Valkyrie said, “I don’t like it here. It’s not just the death, something about this place gives me the fucking creeps. The air in this place feels... wrong.”
Soft footsteps crunching against the stone and dirt signalled the approach of the weary Herrschers. Isabella gestured towards their discoveries, “What do you make of this, My Lady?”
Kiana tilted her head curiously and stared at what appeared to be empty air, “Bronya, you can sense it too, right?”
Bronya nodded, “The border between dimensions is incredibly thin here.”
“Strange spatial distortions all over the place, too. Imaginary energy is leaking into reality from somewhere. I think...” Kiana grimaced, “If Himeko’s battle against Sirin caused a leak from imaginary space itself, that might explain the rumours about this place. If the priestesses found this crack in reality or stayed here for too long... well, humans aren’t designed to handle raw energy from the Imaginary Tree without intense preparation.”
“The Imaginary Tree...” Caihong muttered, “I read some of the scientific theories that survived the Herrscher of Corruption a while back.” She glanced at the bodies surrounding them, “It seems they left out just how dangerous it could be.”
“Doctor Frederica Nikolai Tesla and Anti-Entropy have been fighting against Schicksal censorship,” Cecilia added, “Schicksal gained much more control over the flow of information after the Herrscher of Corruption was defeated, and they seem determined to hide away all the more in depth research into other dimensions and the Imaginary Tree. I spent some time in the west while I was researching the gaps in our history a few years ago. While there I came across several articles archived by AE about a lecture on Imaginary Energy Dr. Tesla gave at one of their larger universities several centuries ago. She was nearly assassinated by a group later revealed to be Schicksal Valkyries, but the Herrscher of Reason shielded her from harm.” Cecilia scoffed, “Schicksal played it off as a rogue element that believed meddling with Imaginary space is what caused Corruption to attack.”
Bronya hummed an affirmative, her expression falling, “I remember that. It was a moment of open defiance against Schicksal. Her hatred of them grew even more zealous after their meddling during the war against the Herrscher of Corruption killed... killed Dr. Einstein. Kiana and I owe the Doctors much,” Bronya’s expression hardened. A shadow seemed to pass over the young girl. A shadow that seemed to sap at her strength. In that moment she was not the mighty Herrscher, the weight of millennia of memories, successes, failures, and terror, all sagging her shoulders. They etched the lines deeper into her face, and for the first time she appeared just as she was. A tired girl bending under the weight of the world, “I couldn’t save Ein. I wasn’t about to fail Tesla as well.”
Camellia looked on, expression hardened somewhere between anger and disgust, “What could Schicksal possibly gain from that?!”
“Schicksal is not known for wanting to share power, and if they managed to completely destroy Corruption they would gain the opportunity to study the Herrscher Core of one of the most dangerous Herrschers in existence,” Bronya answered simply, “As for why they are so insistent on hiding truths about Imaginary space... I’m not sure. We helped Overseer Theresa and the remnants of Anti-Entropy make their research into Herrschers and Imaginary space public knowledge millennia ago. Even with all their other... quirks, this turn of events seems recent.” She paused for a moment, “Well, recent for me.”
“We can think about this later,” Kiana groaned through grit teeth, “We shouldn’t stay here any longer than we have to. We need to find this crack into Imaginary Space and close it. Just give me a moment to do one last thing for my priestesses.”
Bronya nodded.
Kiana walked with them to the end of the camp. There, amongst the strange powder, she turned, “Let me grant you one last honour as your Goddess,” She said softly. The others lowered their heads in respect at their Goddess’s voice. Kiana knelt and pressed her hand against the rocky ground. Her voice was the quiet tone of respect one might have at a funeral, yet it was saturated with a power that gave it an undeniable intensity, “I am She who resides within time itself, the Lady of the Moon, inheritor of the Flame, guardian of the Void, Bringer of Finality and the Beginning of the End. Let the branches of the great tree bear witness: Though the world may forget, I will not. From the Equinox’s platinum heights, to the plains of the Elysian, and depths tread only by Death herself. Let you and your companions be etched into my memory forever more, for the whispers of time have shown that you served me well.”
A wave of nausea overtook Mei as she watched on. As soon as Kiana stopped speaking the world around them seemed to distort and bend strangely, like a sphere of strange otherworldly space had shimmered into existence around them for a brief second, a fleeting moment of an incredible radiating energy so intense that her gems ached like tensed tendons ready to snap. It spread through the whole camp like ripples on the glassy surface of a lake. It passed in only a few seconds, though the nausea remained for the poor mortals. Caihong looked like she was one wrong move from emptying her stomach all over the mountainside.
“Kiana what-” Mei shook her head to chase away the last of the strangeness clouding her mind, “What was that?”
Kiana chuckled softly, bashfully, “Oh, just some Goddess shit. I’m really gonna feel that one later. I...” She hesitated as she stood, “It is a message that will carry my acknowledgement of them to the Lady of Death herself, and etch their names into the foundations of my realm. It’s the least I can do. To ensure their Goddess remembers them.” Kiana smiled sadly, “I’ve long learned how to stop letting these kinds of things make me feel personally guilty. But it still saddens me to think that if I had handled other things better a few decades ago I might have been able to offer them something more than just being an object of faith.”
“I’m sure you did everything you could,” Mei said gently.
Kiana’s responding hum didn’t seem to be entirely convinced. She sucked in a deep breath, “Alright, lets get a move on. Bronya and I can shield you from the worst of the effects of Imaginary Energy, but I’d still rather get this done as quickly as possible. Be on guard. The raw energy of the universe itself cares little for human logic or physical laws.”
Her companions nodded their understanding. Drawing their weapons, they stalked further into the shadows of the mountains. If nothing else, they would ensure no one else suffered the same fate as their fallen sisters.
The mortal women of the group were quickly realising just what Kiana meant when she said Imaginary energy cared little for logic. Multiple times now they had found themselves instantly and suddenly transported to a different area within the cracks sphere of influence. The sky seemed to warp and change colour strangely, preventing them from using the stars to gain their bearings. Compasses and electronics behaved strangely. Camellia had nearly smashed her phone against the rocks as the difficulty of completing even basic tasks proved a fruitless endeavour.
Though it greatly pained her, Kiana chanced exerting more of her power. A pattern soon took shape in how they were being transported through space. A complicated one that would have taken a regular human weeks to figure out through trial and error. Luckily the Herrscher of Finality was well versed in the complications of spatial rifts. As it was, this spatial journey through the mountains took them several hours. As they exited the last rift they found themselves in another large open area further down within a valley between the mountains. The sharp rocks jutting up all around them gave the place a rather menacing look, surrounded by the steep cliffs of the mountains as they were. The wrongness and strange warping of space like the reflections of water dancing upon a wall was nauseatingly strong here.
“Hm, yeah,” Kiana muttered, “This crater was made by Himeko, too.” She left her friends behind and walked towards the back of the area with purpose, “And here is...” She raised her hand and Mei’s senses immediately lit up from a spike of Honkai energy. Within seconds a pinprick of golden light coalesced in the air in front of Kiana’s palm. The light shifted and writhed as Kiana continued to pour her power into this hole between realities. Already the energy pouring out of this small hole of gold was taking on a physical appearance. The world around the crater seemed to distort and twist even more dramatically, like trying to see something clearly through the rapids of a river. Golden ribbons of energy billowed around Kiana, the wind picking up and blowing them past the mortals and Herrscher waiting behind Finality. That golden light pulsed and stretched, ends extending outwards until the crack in reality appeared like a vertical slice into the air itself. Honkai energy pulsed in concert with these ribbons of the imaginary as she flared her authority over the Void once more. Like a pressurised container bursting its lid free of its clamps, this slice into reality burst open with a sharp golden wail like a festering wound freed of the stitches keeping it contained. The wind tore at their faces and clothes, hair flapping rapidly as the women struggled to remain upright against such an intense force. That discomforting nausea roiled through their bodies with an overwhelming intensity. Caihong and Sophia emptied their breakfast all over the cracked floor of the crater in the midst of attempting to keep their footing. Mei had to fight against the urge to heave herself. The Honkai energy pulsing in her veins recoiled and writhed, a need to lash out, to make it stop, tingling through her body.
Kiana stared into this unfathomable light unblinking, “There we go,” She grunted through her pain, “Now we just-” The Moon Goddess’s eyes shot wide.
“Kiana!” Mei rushed forwards as Kiana was blown backwards by something unseen. She moved just quickly enough to catch her Goddess and cushion her landing.
“Gah!” Kiana scrambled to get back to her feet, “Thanks, Mei! Bronya!” She spun to her fellow Herrscher, “It’s not just a rift! It’s-”
A strange stuttering call echoed in their ears, like ringing bells all around them and drilling into their ears. A crushing pain pierced the skulls of the mortal women without warning and even the Herrschers found themselves grimacing against the noise.
Kiana’s voice dropped to a resigned sigh as the wind calmed and a shape moved within the dimensional scar. From within the golden light burst a creature unlike anything Mei had ever seen before. A black, metallic looking body thicker than a tree trunk with golden accents and petals larger than a human at its peak. Tentacles sprouted from this main body and ended in closed blooms with more golden petals. It’s strange jingling call pierced their skulls again as a spatial rift with strange curved designs around the rim bloomed to life beneath it and the creature settled partially into its black void.
“Kiana...” Bronya warned.
“I know!” Kiana groaned, “Why the hell is there a Husk of Existentialism here?!”
Camellia struggled to hold her spear steady against the psychic pressure steadily assaulting their minds, “A fucking what?!”
“A being created by the imaginary tree itself,” Bronya hurried to explain, “It is-
As if in response, one of the strange plant-like creature’s tentacles arced towards the humans with another rattling bell-like call.
“Move!” Kiana commanded. They all dove away and the tentacle was met with only hardened stone as it crashed down where they once stood. Kiana and Bronya hissed in pain as Project Bunny pulled them back to their feet, “Try not to get hit!” Kiana yelled, “Direct contact with the Husk or too much of its imaginary energy will disintegrate your sanity!”
Isabella ducked under another whip of its tentacle and growled, “Disintegrate? What the fuck is this thing?!” The pounding in her head was only getting worse the longer she looked at the thing. And they were supposed to fight it?
Violet eyes met cerulean and Mei held her katana at the ready, “What do we do, My Lady?”
Kiana smiled, her weapons manifesting into her hands with a flash of Honkai energy, “Hit it really fucking hard until it stops moving and don’t go insane!”
Mei grit her teeth and opened the floodgates of her gems. The rush of Honkai energy brought back some of her clarity of mind, a refreshing chasing away of brain fog that allowed her thoughts to flow freely. Once more electricity sparked across her body and down her blade as she charged forwards to the commanding bark of Kiana’s pistol alongside Isabella, Camellia, and Cecilia.
Isabella’s blade flared to life with the amethyst flames of Finality, cutting a path through the molasses of imaginary energy pressing against them and sparking against the hardened hide of the Husk. It dug into the strange metal-like surface, but it wasn’t nearly deep enough. Cecilia’s rapier and Camellia’s spear had similarly limited results. Sophia provided covering fire alongside Caihong, who had taken seemingly random components from the half-skirt around her legs and fitted them together into some sort of modular rifle. Mei paused just long enough to present her back as a platform for Kiana to launch herself from, the Herrscher releasing a yell that was just as much a battlecry as it was a shout of pain. She jumped high, high enough for her sword to pierce into what appeared to be an orb in the centre of the golden petals. Her pistol pounded out a beat in time with Project Bunny’s cannon. But in her weakened state she was unable to move fast enough to avoid the way those petals spun around its body as it shook her free and slammed them into Kiana’s side.
“Kiana!” Mei’s attention followed the Herrscher for just a moment. But that moment was all the Husk needed for the bloom at the end of its tentacles to blossom and fire beams of pure, concentrated Imaginary energy. One clipped Kiana as she crawled to her knees and sent her back to the floor with a terrible scream. The other hit Mei dead on. The pain was immediate and excruciating. Kiana’s warning echoed in her mind as this golden light seemed to glare through cracks in her very mind. Her perception of the world around her crumbled, her thoughts jumbled and confused, her sense of reality, her sense of self, it was... eroding. Her movements did not feel like her own, her breaths the pumping of a machine, her blood the fluttering of wings as avians took flight in tube-like patterns. Everything made sense. Nothing made sense. She was on solid ground, but she was underwater. Her fingers gripped tighter around her katana’s hilt, only for them to fall apart like so much sand.
That anger in the back of her mind lit up like a beacon as these sensations stabbed into her very being like a thousand needles. Honkai energy flooded her body like a damn breaking under the weight of an ever bulging ocean. Or... no... the dam was carefully demolished to release a calculated flow. Mei could barely hold onto this realisation as the corruptive energy of the Honkai smashed into this terrible gold. Her limbs felt like they were being ripped apart cell by cell, like cracks might appear similarly to Kiana’s ethereal wounds. She was only held together by the sheer power of the Honkai flooding through her gems and the pure overwhelming anger that this golden light would dare assault her. Not corruptive but a... protective force against this otherworldly danger. It was like the Honkai was a cleansing rush, piecing her back together, pushing the pins and needles out of where they stabbed into her psyche, reforming the cells burned away by the purifying gold. Until a roar of defiance fell from her lips and this unrelenting tide of Honkai energy burst from her fingertips. Fire and lightning leapt from her hands and crashed against the stream of Imaginary assaulting her very being. It danced and flickered around the edges of a dome of pure ethereal Honkai energy that flared outwards like a shield. A shadow moved in the corner of her vision and Mei vaguely recognised the shape of Bronya being pulled back by Project Bunny with limp legs and damaged prosthetics.
“Do not let this insignificant thing believe it can attempt to erode the personification of Conquest and live!” That anger roared in her mind, “It has harmed Kiana and insulted our strength of will! Kill it! Destroy it! Vaporise it! Erase this pathetic excuse of a custodian from existence and show it the might of Conquest! Nothing touches our Kiana and lives!!”
“Gah!” Isabella fell backwards as stars of Imaginary energy burst forth from the Husk’s body and rained down on the others still fighting, “Mei! We can’t-” Isabella screamed through clenched teeth as the imaginary energy began to overwhelm them the more they failed to avoid the Imaginary being’s lightning fast energy attacks. Was Kiana completely out of the fight? All at once the golden light vanished and the energy before her hands flew forwards uncontrollably and slammed into the Husk. The mark it left seemed rather insignificant, but the creature itself let out another rattling bell of a cry.
“Mei!” Camellia shouted from where she stood, spear lodged in between the gap of the now dismembered tentacle, “We need to get out of here! Kiana can barely move and I can barely think enough to swing! My! lance!” Her breaths came hard and her expression was twisted into a constant grimace of pain as she emphasised her last words with attack after attack.
“No!” Her inner voice roared, “No retreat! You are Thunder incarnate! You are the one in control! You are the Queen! You will not bow to this pathetic tool of the tree!”
So many conflicting emotions, so much swirling tumbling thoughts and feelings and urges from the imaginary energy to the sight of her companions faltering in the face of the cosmos, to the voice in her head filling her with an indignant, vicious anger. Mei did the only thing she could. She acted.
Eyes flashing bright with a wilful fury she launched herself forwards faster than the eye could track. Lightning wreathed her every step, the air growing thick with the stink of ozone and burning metal as amethyst fire encased her blade. The Husk of Existentialism let out another stuttering cry, one that drew screams and grunts from her companions as they fought desperately to hold onto the strings of their sanity. Mei slashed and darted from retaliatory attacks like she was lightning itself. She was as incorporeal as a flash of lightning, as untouchable as the afterimage the screeching plasma burns into your retina. There was a rumble deep in her bones as the lightning leapt from her body. Was it at her conscious command? Subconscious instinct? She could not tell besides the refreshing rush of familiarity this form of battle brought. The fire of her sword bit into the hardened carapace of the Imaginary and sliced off chunks of its armour with ease. She could feel the charge in the air, how at just a thought she could manipulate it, create the perfect environment for charge to jump between two points. Create true lightning. She danced around the stars of Imaginary energy that attempted to track her movements, another tentacle was disabled with a single burning slash. Lightning crashed around her, called by an instinct instilled deep within her that she did not have time to ponder. Her slashes grew faster, her movement more precise.
Camellia, Cecilia, and Isabella moved, but they seemed much too slow to Raiden Mei. She had already performed several more slashes by the time they had pushed themselves to their feet. Their steps were like slow motion, and Mei weaved around them easily as she methodically decimated the Husks limbs like a gardener picking apart pieces of a particularly stubborn weed. Mei’s katana wreathed itself in lighting again, energy engulfing the metal and being pressed, moulded, reshaped. Until it became like a second larger blade encasing her katana in pure electrical Honkai energy. She propelled herself into the air, sword swinging in a horizontal arc as she dashed past her foe and carved through the main body of the Husk like it was made of butter. The “head” appearing as a flower bud with a strange orb-like eye in the centre collapsed. The instant it thudded to the floor, her three companions used the last of their strength to stumble forwards and throw all their weight behind driving their weapons into this core.
A final death rattle of its strange bell-like wail and the creature’s body finally dissolved into a myriad of golden particles reflecting the unknowable secrets of the imaginary as it departed this world. Yet they could not rest. With the Husk dead, Imaginary energy had begun pouring through the crack in reality once again, its power beginning to edge back into her consciousness despite the incredible amounts of Honkai coursing through her body.
“Mei...” Kiana groaned from where she had fallen, “The rift! Close it!” Her voice was almost too quiet to hear. The Herrscher of Finality struggled to even speak and her arms shook violently with the effort it took to hold herself up so she could meet Mei’s glowing violet.
Mei looked back with a terrified pinch to her brows, “Me? I can’t! I don’t know how!”
“Yes you do!” Kiana insisted, “Reach deep within yourself! You know how to close it! Trust me!”
Mei held Kiana’s gaze for another few moments. Within those pink-starred eyes she found nothing but belief. A sincere, loving certainty sparkling in both those exhausted eyes and the soft smile that spread across her lips. And so with that image of love within her heart, Mei turned and stepped towards this window into the universe itself. The force of the energy pouring forth pushed against her with an ever increasing intensity as she approached. The force of it whipped at her hair, tore at her cape and the katana in her hand. Its terrible gold was so bright Mei was forced to shield her eyes with her free arm as she forced herself onwards. This close to the realm of the imaginary strange phenomenon was to be expected. Guaranteed. It would, of course, defy all logic as Kiana said. Yet when the whispers began to flit past her ears and echo within her very mind she still felt a shiver of dread shoot down her spine. She was within reach now, her arm extending and she pressed it against the rippling edge of this tear in reality. The whispers grew louder, the golden light within seemed to spread apart like curtains being pulled back to reveal the scene behind them. Thoughts, images, visions, no... Mei wasn’t sure how to describe the things that were being dragged through her mind by the torrent of Imaginary energy.
It was overwhelming. It was terrifying. It was awe inspiring. Branches of golden energy spreading out in every direction into an endless abyss all connected by a great trunk, flowing and pulsing with life, with order, with the rules of reality itself, all coming together to bloom into leaf after leaf after leaf. World after world, whole empires, civilisations, each one an existence as large and awesome and filled with individual stories so small and tiny just like her own. The whispers seemed to pulse and ripple, the distorted sounds sharpening and clearing the longer she was exposed to this ethereal gold.
“Raiden Mei...”
“My name is Kiana! Kiana Kaslana!”
“From this day onwards, you three are Schicksal Valkyries!”
“No matter how many times your sword shatters, I’ll reforge it for you.”
“Come, my descendant. End my mistakes, my failure. I could not save her, as you did. Show us the strength of your convictions. Do what the Previous Era could not.”
“Yes, I had someone like that on my world. I killed that man. Alone.”
“Mei, tragedy isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of hope. You’ll have faith, right?”
Mei’s breaths hissed through clenched teeth. They came rapidly, hard, the breaths of a woman struggling with all her might against forces far beyond her comprehension. The raw imaginary energy and the things she was seeing on the other side of reality were eating away at her mind. She pushed and struggled, opening herself up to the chaotic abyss of the Honkai to an extent she had feared to even consider just days ago. Again, almost as if recalling a distant dream, she saw that fluttering of pink hair in the corner of her vision. Just as when she touched Seven Thunders what felt like a lifetime ago.
“Cute girls can do anything!” A cheerful voice seemed to echo within her mind, “Come on Mei, remember what I taught you? The strength of this authority is something the Will simply does not understand, humanity itself! Through the connection, the love, you have for other people for their humanity. Without that, Origin is as fleeting as morning dew. Sometimes it takes a bit of rediscovery on our part, as inhuman as we are,” The voice giggled, “So come, Raiden Mei. Will you weave a dance of discovery with me?”
“Come, Mei!”
“Mei!”
“Mei!”
The voice sounded loud in her ears and snapped Mei out of the... vision? Memory? She could not be sure. She turned her gaze towards the voice and found Kiana there, still smiling through the pain, wounds pulsing angrily with a snapping inner light, “Come, Mei! You can do it!” She rested a hand on her shoulder and extended the other to the rift alongside Mei’s own.
Another touch, and Bronya revealed herself at Mei’s other flank. A soft smile and a nod and she too extended her hand, “Kiana and I are too weak to do this alone, but we have the experience. So lets do this together like old times.”
Old times? The phrase flitted strangely through Mei’s consciousness. Such thoughts were scattered to the wind as the touch of the Herrschers’ Honkai energy entangled gently with her own. She could feel it like guiding hands in her consciousness. They showed her how to bend the Honkai, how to twist it, how to curve and thread it, how to affect reality itself. Mei’s voice spilled from her lips, exertion, determination, supported by the smiles of the Herrschers beside her she latched onto the edges of the rift. Steadily, centimetre by centimetre, she pulled the rift closed, squinting against its burning light as it shone brighter and brighter, until the seam between dimensions was finally sealed with a final ear shattering boom as the trio’s Honkai energy collapsed the rift. The world spun, twisted, rippled, the distortions caused by the dimensional rift pulsing outwards in several violent waves. It took several seconds for this final expenditure of energy to burn itself out. All fell into a still, deathly quiet.
The sudden quiet was deafening. The sudden rush of images, voices, visions, sensations, was all cut off in an instant. If Kiana’s arms had not wrapped around her, Mei would have collapsed from the intense disorientation that washed over her. The touch of Kiana’s Honkai energy slid across her mind once more and aided her priestess in squeezing the rush of Honkai energy from her gems back to its manageable trickle. The touch lingered, twitching ever so slightly as if Kiana was hesitant to break this connection.
The Herrscher smiled as Mei returned her embrace, the priestesses body shaking with a relieved shuddering sigh, “See, Mei?” She murmured beside her ear, “Told you you could do it.”
“Yeah,” Mei breathed out a disbelieving laugh, “You did.” She allowed herself a moment to simply enjoy Kiana’s warmth against her. Though she could not keep her thoughts from wandering back to the mission at hand for too long. She reluctantly pulled away, “We should check on the others.”
Kiana and Bronya nodded in agreement, though Bronya only made it a few steps before she collapsed.
“Bronya!”
The Herrscher waved off Mei’s worry, “It’s- It’s okay. The Husk damaged my prosthetics, I’ve just gotta give them a bit of a fix.” Project Bunny made her way over and hovered over Bronya protectively as she pushed herself into a sitting position, “I’ll be fine, go check on the others. They had a hard time after Kiana got knocked around.”
Kiana grimaced but said nothing as they moved back to the Moonbeams and Camellia. They were in rough shape, but alive. The women were struggling to do much more than sit or rest on their knees and breathe heavily. Mei went to the Moonbeams while Kiana took a knee besides Camellia.
“Are you all okay?” Several exhausted nods, “Isabella?” Mei kneeled next to where the woman simply sat on all fours and seemed fixated on the ground, “It’s over.”
A single wet droplet fell against the dry soil beneath them, “Thank the Goddess,” Isabella whispered. She shifted as if trying to get up, but her arms shook and she remained in place, “I- I need to check on the- on the others. I’m supposed to be their Captain, I need-”
Mei laid a gently hand on her shoulder, “Isabella, please,” She said gently, “Please rest. I’ll check on the others. We’ve all just been through quite the ordeal.”
“Yeah... you took that thing down almost single-handedly. And now you’re checking up on everyone while I...” She chuckled derisively, “I’m... here.” Isabella shook her head, “I just need time to gather my wits. Thank you, Mei.”
Mei nodded, resting a hand on the woman’s shoulder with what she hoped was a comforting squeeze. She then got to her feet and began making her way to the others.
“Camellia?”
The Valkyrie hesitantly looked up at the sound of Kiana’s voice. She was kneeling with her spear supporting her weight where she’d fallen against the psychic assault by the Husk of Existentialism. Her eyes rose along Kiana’s form but stopped short of meeting the Herrscher’s eyes.
Kiana knelt down beside her, face a picture of concern, “How are you feeling? I uh, I’m sorry.”
“Huh?” That got Camellia’s gaze to fully turn to Kiana, “Why are you apologising?
Kiana shrugged, “Getting my ass kicked made my focus slip. Suffering the full strength of a Husk of Existentialism is nothing to joke about.”
“I’m fine,” Camellia responded gruffly.
Kiana let out a short laugh, “Don’t give me that Kaslana bullshit, Camellia.”
The Valkyrie’s bluster quickly deflated, “Right, sorry, uh, K-Kiana.”
“So?” Kiana eyed her expectantly, “Head still on straight after fighting an eldritch guardian creature that erodes your sanity?”
Camellia exhaled a dry laugh, “You make it sound so simple.” She gained a contemplative look for a moment before sighing, “My head is still killing me. I was... I don’t know. Seeing things? I don’t know if it was the Imaginary energy or I was just losing my mind after taking a few hits. But it felt so real...”
Kiana gave Camellia’s shoulder a comforting pat, “You’re one tough Valkyrie, I’ll give you that,” Kiana smiled, “I don’t know if I would have been able to handle getting brain blasted by a Husk of Existentialism if I was still mortal at your age.”
“I guess I’m lucky,” She grunted.
Kiana shrugged, “Luck or your own strength. Either way,” She playfully knocked shoulders with the woman, “Durandal would be proud of you.”
Camellia’s eyes softened ever so slightly before she could avert her gaze, “I- Thank you... Kiana.” Her lip caught between her teeth as she hesitated, “I’m- I must apologise for how I treated you when we first met.”
“Eeh, don’t worry about it,” Kiana brushed it off, “I know how I looked to people that thought I was just some brat with a fake ID. I er, didn’t put as much care into it as I should have.”
Camellia reluctantly nodded, “I won’t keep you. I’m sure your priestesses need the Moon Goddess more than I do right now. I just need to rest for a moment.”
Kiana nodded and got back to her feet, “Alright, get your rest. I’ll be back in a bit.”
The soft crunch of shoes against the dirt drew Mei’s attention away from where she was checking on Cecilia, “Kiana!” A smile quickly bloomed across her face, “I think we’re all okay. They all have severe headaches but are focused and can respond just fine when I speak to them.”
Kiana sighed in relief, “That’s good... I’m sorry. It’s my fault for letting it get the better of me. If my focus hadn’t dropped for a bit you wouldn’t have suffered the brunt of its power like that.”
“I can’t say it was easy,” Cecilia admitted. Her breaths still came heavily, “I never thought beginning to lose my sense of self would be so painful.”
“Any physical injuries? Any of you?”
Her priestesses all gave her a negative. As they continued to speak, Mei got to her feet and took a few steps away.
“I might be bruised from getting knocked around a bit,” Sophia said, “But I feel okay all things considered.”
“I’m fine,” Isabella replied softly.
Kiana nodded, “Good,” She shot Isabella a concerned look but did not say anything, “Just ah... don’t be surprised if you have some fucked up dreams for the next couple weeks. You all did good though,” Kiana sheepishly scratched at the back of her head, “Better than me even,” She laughed.
Cecilia shook her head, “You’re the only reason we retained our minds long enough for Mei to defeat that creature, My Lady. We are eternally grateful.”
Kiana looked like she wanted to argue, but after a moment of hesitation she merely nodded and smiled instead.
“You’ve fought these things before?” Caihong asked.
“Unfortunately,” Kiana rolled her eyes, “Though usually I’m the one kicking its ass. Its powers usually don’t affect me too much as a Herrscher. I never wanna fight one of these assholes while the Will is throwing a temper tantrum ever again.”
“Kiana?” The group turned at the sound of Mei’s raised voice, “It would appear we are no longer in the mountains.”
For the first time Kiana pulled her attention from her companions and raised it to the surrounding landscape. Indeed it would appear that the dirt beneath them was not of the crater, but of the wastelands they now occupied.
“Oh,” Kiana said simply, “I guess the distortions when Mei collapsed the rift moved us through space.” She took another moment to observe.
Most of the area was flat, a destroyed and desolate landscape saturated with Honkai energy and cleansed of all life. Behind them, the mountains were nearly a full eighty kilometres away. But what was most interesting was in front of them. There was one spot where the line of the horizon was broken. It’s shape was misshapen, shattered, and only about one kilometre away. It had circular shapes on top of the flatter shape of what appeared to be the base, sections of the domes shattered, the buildings caked in grime and visibly severely decayed even from this distance. The whole structure was at an angle as if it had fallen on its side. Even further behind that was more decayed and collapsed buildings scattered across the wastelands who knew how far. It was too far away to make out much more than that due to the level of destruction. Throughout the wastelands outside these structures the dirt was pockmarked by craters. Debris, abandoned weapon emplacements, and hurriedly dug bunkers were strewn everywhere. The rusted out husks of ancient battlemechs and armour dotted the landscape like lonely monuments to humanity’s folly.
“Ah,” Kiana’s expression twisted into a bittersweet nostalgia, “I guess I should thank that bastard Husk. It brought us right to Schicksal HQ.”