"Boom!"
It was impossible to count how many times they had clashed and parted as the golden torrent surged through Virtual Space.
Kiana held her sword aloft, with golden blood flowing from the hilt onto the blade before being engulfed by the white flames along its surface.
She stumbled backward, retreating through the void, clutching her left chest as searing pain akin to melting metal radiated from within her heart.
"Agh!"
Golden blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, but Kiana's brows remained furrowed, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on Finality, who also receded into the distance.
"No, no! Both your body and you can't take much more! Hurry up and use your ultimate move—worst comes to worst, I'll let that guy finish it off afterward!"
"I..."
Kiana hesitated, her mind numbed by intense combat and injuries, momentarily at a loss for words.
Wiping away the blood from the corner of her mouth, she glanced down at her hand and suddenly froze.
Scarlet fissures spread across her palm, catching her eye. Following their trail downward, she realized that accumulated wounds and excessive energy had torn open her body, causing sparks of light to escape from the cracks.
"It's already this bad?" Kiana clenched her cracked fist, managing a faint smile despite the red fissures spreading across her face.
It was as if she could clearly see her own death approaching.
"Zeke will definitely be furious," Kiana murmured with unwavering certainty.
Sirin erupted in curses: "You idiot! I thought you'd figured it out ages ago! Enough chitchat—use your ultimate move and let's finish this! There's no way I'm dying here alongside such a moron!"
"My apologies... Just indulge me for a little longer, please!"
"What did you say?!"
"If there's a chance, I'll apologize again then."
Kiana's radiant smile belied her battered visage, exuding heartrending beauty amidst the cracks.
With sword raised high, she charged forward toward the pristine, seemingly unscathed "Kiana," unleashing another all-out strike without hesitation.
Dad, Mom, thank you for accepting me. Even though it was brief, having a family brought me so much joy... But seriously, stupid Dad, you really need to stay out of the kitchen more. Kaslanas aren't meant to cook; I could tolerate it when we were kids, but now those culinary disasters are just unbearable.
After all, it's hard to go from luxury back to hardship—having grown accustomed to Mei and Zeke's delicious cooking, how could she stomach dark cuisine again?
Durandal, Big Sis, I'm truly honored to be your little sister. You're not only the greatest Valkyrie but also the best big sister ever. If only we had met sooner—we haven't even celebrated our birthdays together yet.
During their fierce battle, Kiana sighed wistfully within her thoughts.
Auntie, please drink less bitter melon juice. I asked Zeke about it; consuming too much can harm your stomach, especially since you prefer drinking it on an empty stomach. Even as a Valkyrie, don't push yourself like that! Thank you for always caring and looking after me. Also, if possible, try finding someone special soon—you're getting up there in years.
Kiana smiled faintly, knowing that saying this directly to Theresa would undoubtedly result in a swift Judah smack against the wall.
Mei, suddenly, I really miss your cooking... And Zeke isn't that scary; you can relax around him more.
Wendy and Seele, drink your milk to grow up fast. I can't help you with Zeke; that's something you'll have to figure out on your own. Don't blame Big Sis Kiana for not being loyal—after all, he's my husband! Kiana felt a pang of sadness but knew there was nothing she could do.
Bronya, Sin, and Fu Hua-sensei, remember to spend more time with Zeke. Despite appearing strong-willed, he's quite clueless when it comes to emotions and struggles to express his feelings, especially loneliness or unhappiness. Just stay close to him—he'll appreciate it...
"Boom!!"
With a powerful strike reminiscent of their initial encounter, Kiana was sent flying, golden blood spraying from her cracked body across the Virtual Space.
I'm running out of time. It seems like this is as far as I can go...
As shattered fragments of skin floated past her, burning away into oblivion, Kiana acutely sensed her life force draining rapidly. Unlike her battle against Sirin, where she had managed to cling to survival, this time, it felt like she truly crossed the threshold between life and death.
"You've really messed things up now. Once we return, I'm definitely going to max out those achievement cards for that nagging mom and idiot Siegfried..." Sirin's voice echoed coldly.
Sirin's emotionless voice emerged from her lips.
Instantly, Kiana's right eye shifted back from gold to scarlet, signaling Sirin's departure.
Uncertain of her own condition, Kiana could only apologize silently within her heart:
Sorry, other me, but this time, I truly must burden you.
Zeke, I...love you!
No other thoughts surfaced; these simple words flashed through her mind, bringing boundless warmth and rekindling Kiana's fading spirit.
"One last strike! Giving it my all! Can't you feel my resolve now? After all, I'm sure you arrived in this era with the same determination!"
Her body slowly disintegrated, yet undaunted, Kiana stood firm amidst the void, raising her sword high as an unwavering determination blazed in her eyes.
"Flame Demon: Sword Goddess!"
The Sword Goddess ability, modified by Herrscher powers, transformed Kiana into a colossal scarlet blade spanning thousands of miles, resonating across both physical reality and existence itself. Like a planet collapsing downward, it descended majestically.
In the vast expanse beyond description, all noise abruptly ceased.
Kiana's mutilated body drifted aimlessly within this empty realm. With no suppression, her twelve Herrscher abilities clashed against each other, their immense energy burning like flames and relentlessly eroding her shattered flesh.
Meanwhile, "Kiana," the silver-haired girl in a white dress bearing a vivid red gash across her slender frame, floated with vacant eyes beneath an enormous scarlet slash mark.
'Did it work...?' Kiana hesitantly wondered, her thoughts sluggish.
But she lacked the strength to seek an answer as memories of her past life flashed through her numbed mind like fleeting scenes.
The corners of her lips curved upwards faintly. In her gradually dimming vision, she seemed to glimpse a pair of incredibly familiar hands reaching out towards her.
How could that be possible?
"BOOM!!!"
The howling wind, thunderclaps, and sounds of space tearing—elements from the real world—pulled Kiana's nearly fading consciousness back.
"Qi...ke..." she murmured, noticing Zeke's usually calm and composed eyes now filled with a storm of emotions, his gaze intensely focused on her amidst reddened rims.
Kiana was aware of her dire state—barely half her body remained, most of her skin likely burned away, and countless jagged wounds covered both her face and body—in fact, even her face seemed incomplete.
"Right now...do I look really ugly..."
"Not at all, you'll always be the most beautiful. Don't talk anymore; we're home, and I will heal you."
"Oh...I want cake, and milk ice cream too..."
"No problem, as much as you desire!" Zeke declared firmly, watching as Kiana closed her eyes, falling still.
He placed his hand on her severely damaged body, absorbing ability after ability into himself but unable to halt the power continuously draining from her, further destroying her physical form.
Only after extracting the last ability, aside from Sora and Flame, did he place her shattered remains into a healing chamber, finally stopping the disintegration.
Gazing upon the girl before him, with only half a torso and one side of her face left, devoid of any intact skin, Zeke rested his hand against the transparent chamber wall.
"Kiana..."
As he whispered, his eyes glowed with pure gold, and strands of silver hair floated gently in the still air of the treatment room.
Meanwhile, high above the Imperial City's sky, space trembled as a pitch-black rift tore through the clouds, rending the vast heavens apart.
Bathed in boundless golden radiance, a young girl slowly descended from the fissure, her awe-inspiring divine might bearing down like the collapse of the very heavens themselves.
At that moment, the long-awaited Black Dragon opened its colossal mechanical maw, ready to unleash the massive buildup of Honkai Energy it had absorbed while traversing Virtual Space. Meanwhile, in the distant Dynamis Region, the remaining 30% reserve energy of the Selene Throne had already been fully released.
"BOOM!!!"