This wasn't Kiana's first attempt at suicide.
Upon initially discovering her true identity as the Herrscher of the Void, she had already contemplated self-destruction as penance.
That time, it was Zeke who pulled her back to reality, solidifying her resolve to be with him forever.
But this time is different.
In the past, regardless of any hardships or troubles she faced, Kiana could remain fearless because she knew Zeke would always have her back. With his omnipotence, relying on him seemed like the right choice.
However, this time truly differs.
Zeke had anticipated everything, exhausting the entire civilization's military resources and reserves, ultimately resolving the Finality crisis.
Yet even for him, he could only accomplish this feat once.
If Zeke were to confront the calamity of Finality again, especially when facing Kiana herself...
'Zeke would die, and so would this world.'
Having experienced both opposing and becoming the embodiment of Finality, Kiana acutely comprehended its immense power, making her utterly certain of this truth.
The moment the dagger pierced through her chest, the surging strength from the unknown depths and the other formidable presence erasing her personality vanished instantly.
Kiana felt the agonizing pain as her soul tore apart and began to fade away, yet simultaneously, she sensed a profound clarity of mind.
She let out a sigh, filled with utter relief and joy.
"That's great; now everything will be okay..."
Although her self-destruction seemed inevitable, and she knew that as the Final Herrscher, resurrection by the Hall of Heroes was likely impossible for her, at least Zeke would be safe.
What a wonderful outcome!
On her exquisite porcelain-like face, cracks appeared akin to shattered white Shenzhou, yet it also bloomed with a radiant smile of happiness.
Suddenly, a gentle touch on her cheek, trembling slightly and icy cold, caught her attention.
"Ze...ke?"
"Don't worry, I can heal you."
"Mm-hmm, I trust you, Zeke. But... if you can't, please don't blame yourself. I love you so much, seeing you too sad would break my heart."
Zeke tenderly cradled the girl in his arms, as if holding a precious, fragile treasure. Kiana looked up from within his embrace, her fractured face still radiating a joyful smile.
"...Why didn't you wait for me?"
"Because Zeke always tries to be strong—I know my husband all too well!"
No, you don't understand at all—
Exerting every ounce of his reason and strength, Zeke barely managed to restrain himself from losing control or blurting out those words.
Kiana Kaslana, the kindest yet most stubborn fool in the world, had no idea what losing her would mean to him!
"I do understand..."
Gradually, Kiana's legs gave way, and her fragile body, on the brink of disintegration, leaned heavily against Zeke. The golden wound on her chest continued to pour out Honkai Energy as she smiled and countered his unspoken thoughts.
"I know everything, but...it's okay. There's still Bronya, Sin, and Fu Hua-sensei—they'll help Zeke find happiness again. I believe in them!"
"What about you? Don't you want to stay with me?"
"Of course I do...I wanted to have lots of babies with Zeke...wanted to travel through countless worlds together...to enjoy so many delicious foods...wanted to be with Zeke forever."
Kiana's voice grew weaker and more halting, reminiscent of when she was extremely tired.
Zeke hesitated, unsure whether to encourage her to sleep. Without rest, she seemed deeply uncomfortable; but if she did fall asleep—would those bright, star-like eyes ever open again?
Intense pain often manifests with a delay.
At that moment, Zeke felt this acutely. It was as though someone had wrapped their hands around his heart, leaving it numb and unresponsive. His face could neither smile nor weep.
"Zeke, I'm feeling a bit sleepy..."
He remained silent.
"But I don't want to sleep. So much...I just want to keep looking at you..."
"It's okay. You'll see me again once you wake up, I promise." With his head bowed, Zeke gently took Kiana's frail hand, placing it against his cheek.
This gesture brought a contented, blissful smile to Kiana's face.
Then, her eyes lost their light.
Her eyelids remained open, fixed intently on Zeke's face, unwilling to close. Yet, she would never respond to him again.
The battle against the Final Herrscher, the struggle for the survival of human civilization, ended with Kiana's death.
At that moment, only Bronya, battered and bruised, managed to stagger up and approach Zeke and Kiana, bearing witness to this final scene.
Everything was eerily silent, save for the sorrowful wind caressing their bodies.
Clear tears streamed down Bronya's usually composed gray eyes.
As she reached Zeke and Kiana, she opened her mouth but felt a painful tightness in her throat, as if suddenly losing the power of speech.
After a long pause, Bronya finally spoke with a hoarse voice: "Zeke, what... do you plan to do? We... we can search other worlds, countless worlds. There must, there must be a way!"
Unlike Kiana, who only had a basic understanding of the Hall of Heroes, Bronya, as a half-researcher herself, possessed deeper insights into resurrection techniques rooted in Information Origin Theory. She fully comprehended that reviving a Final Herrscher carried risks and costs beyond what this world could bear.
Even across countless Leaf Worlds and world bubbles, their chances seemed incredibly slim.
Perhaps they would never find it.
Suppressing the heartache from losing her dear friend and sister, Bronya managed to speak, then anxiously watched Zeke's reaction.
She couldn't stand by and let him crumble; he was the one she loved most dearly. In Kiana's final moments, she entrusted Bronya with taking care of Zeke, so Bronya resolved to do just that!
Zeke continued embracing Kiana's body, using his power to sustain its fragile form, preventing it from disintegrating.
After a long moment, Zeke turned, placed his hand on Bronya's head, and gently stroked her hair.
"Don't be like her. Trust me more, for everything. Don't give me headaches... or heartaches."
"Zeke, you..."
"Take care of home while I'm gone," Zeke said calmly.
As soon as he finished speaking, Bronya vanished from sight.
To be precise, all remaining survivors on the new continent were instantly transferred to the Far East Region, where the infrastructure was best preserved. It boasted comprehensive rehabilitation facilities and ample resources for their well-being.
Zeke then looked down at Kiana's now-still form, his golden eyes shimmering with an unusual intensity.
The healing attempt had failed.
From the moment Zeke bridged the vast distance between Earth and the moon to reach Kiana, he had been exerting his full efforts to save her, but ultimately, he did not succeed.
Zeke defeated Finality once before, but that was when it was nearly depleted. In its true, complete form, Finality is actually stronger than him.
Kiana's self-destruction using the power of the Final Herrscher surpassed Zeke's capabilities, transcending even his understanding. Consequently, he could not prevent Kiana's demise as the Final Herrscher.
With healing unsuccessful, the next logical step was resurrection.
Zeke would not allow Kiana to escape from him, not even if it was her own will—let alone mere death.
With his golden eyes gazing upon the world, Zeke transcended the material realm and ascended further through space-time, reaching higher perspectives that unveiled deeper layers of reality's essence.
For a moment, Kiana's form vanished from Zeke's sight, replaced by an intricate mass of vast information.
This cluster was dispersing and fleeing, continuously merging into the colossal informational entity encompassing the entire world.
Zeke extended his hand, igniting boundless Honkai Energy with frenzied intensity. He even pushed his body to autonomously generate Taixuan Sword Qi without restraint, drawing more usable energy from Virtual Space.
"Reverse... Reassemble... Give her back to me!"
"Rumble, rumble!!"
The entire new continent shook violently as Zeke's immense presence and energy rapidly disintegrated the expansive region.
Harnessing this power, Zeke sought to wrest Kiana's informational being away from the world itself.
"Crack!"
With a sharp crack, a fissure appeared on Zeke's face.
Just like Kiana and "Kiana," his rapidly depleting vitality strained his body to bear the immense Honkai Energy—an ominous sign.
Unfazed by this minor setback, Zeke remained focused on interfering with Kiana's dispersing and leaking information body.
And then, he failed.
This outcome was hardly surprising.
The issue wasn't one of energy but rather the unique nature of the Final Herrscher, deeply intertwined with the essence of the God of Honkai. Attempting to influence such a being with mere human strength proved futile.
Zeke's perception returned to the material world, where cracks proliferated across his face and spread throughout his body.
"Unable to reach her at the informational level? Then I'll resort to means within the physical domain... Time, reverse thy flow!"
A massive golden clock face emerged in the sky, its invisible domain expanding outward. The once-majestic Imperial City, long since reduced to rubble, began reconstructing itself as time flowed backward.
Zeke looked down at the girl cradled in his arms, noticing no change whatsoever.
As the Final Herrscher, Kiana possessed all Herrscher abilities, including control over time itself. However, this did not mean she stood outside the flow of time, entirely immune to its effects.
"I need more...even more time!" Zeke whispered resolutely as he cradled Kiana in his arms.
Everything around them rapidly transformed—the majestic Imperial City vanished without a trace, and even the ground beneath their feet disappeared. All that remained was the vast Mediterranean Sea, its waters receding amidst surging waves.
Continuing to rewind, endlessly rewinding...
Ten years weren't enough, so it became a hundred; a hundred wasn't sufficient, so it stretched to a thousand; if a thousand still fell short...then keep rewinding until the force of flowing time surpassed even what the Final Herrscher could counteract, until Kiana's life could be restored.
Time relentlessly moved backward nearby, while further away, it continued its forward march. Zeke, undeterred, channeled his powers with utmost care, safeguarding Kiana's fragile body throughout the process. Until finally, even for the Herrscher of Time, the backlash from manipulating temporal flows became unbearable.
Zeke collapsed.
Still holding onto Kiana, whose form remained delicately intact, they descended towards the sea, which had ceased its backward motion.
"Boom!"
They plunged into the sea.
Zeke gently embraced Kiana as darkness enveloped them.
There's still a way... Otto's fake god state! Yes! The fake god state closely resembles the true God of Honkai and can influence Kiana's information body! Right, there is hope yet... How does Otto achieve his fake god strike? Hurry up, quickly decipher it...
The intellect that once failed due to overconfidence faced another challenge now. Despite Zeke being fully prepared for battle, he had no time to tackle this complex and time-consuming puzzle.
But at this moment, he desperately needed the answer.
'Otto...'
"Oh-ho~ Were you looking for me, my dear friend?"
Otto's smiling face appeared before Zeke, descending with him and Kiana towards the seafloor.