"You suck, Thunder!" The Verna stomped; as the ground cracked, the Herrscher of Thunder's consciousness was violently shoved back, and the withdrawn Raiden Mei began to wake.
"Ugh…" The moment Mei came to, her whole body ached—and it felt as if someone were standing on her back?
"Awake already? Pity… I thought I could stretch my legs a little longer." Verna lifted her foot, stepped back; the gold in her eyes slowly gave way to blue.
"Mei! Thank goodness—you're okay!" The instant Kiana regained control she pounced to Mei's side, anxiously checking on her friend.
"Kiana…" Mei's focus settled on Kiana's face; memories of what she'd done to her friend while possessed flooded back.
"Why…" Mei hung her head. Kiana scratched hers, lost. What was Mei saying? Her scalp itched—was a brain finally sprouting?
"Why what?"
"Why save me! Someone like me… should've just died right here…" Tears streamed as Mei bolted for the railing damaged by the earlier clash and tried to vault off the roof.
"Mei!" Kiana dashed over, tackling her; both crashed to the floor.
Kiana hugged Mei tight—she'd gone through hell to bring the real Mei back; no way would she let her take a flying leap.
"Why save a sinner like me, Kiana!" Mei's struggles ebbed. Without thinking, Kiana answered, "Because I love you! More than anyone in the world!"
"Eh?" Mei froze; a blush bloomed. She knew lesbians existed, but she wasn't one! Yet Kiana had just saved her—still, she really wasn't gay!
B-but… if it's Kiana… maybe it's okay?
Call it the suspension-bridge effect. Before the 3rd Honkai Outbreak, Mei's life had darkened after her father's imprisonment; Kiana had become her light. Now Kiana had risked everything to save her again. No matter how stubborn she was (Dr. Mobius's mouth excluded ♪), Mei had to admit she… might actually like Kiana.
"Kiana, I—Kiana, what's wrong!" Mei's confession died as the white-haired girl collapsed; the mood shattered. Scooping Kiana up, Mei rushed for the hospital.
Halfway down the rooftop stairs she froze—was there even a hospital left?
"Mmph, Sis, why'd you yank me into the mind-space again! Mei will worry!" Kiana puffed her cheeks at the Verna—she hadn't finished hugging Mei!
"Relax. Here, eat first." Seated, the Herrscher conjured two steaming cups of instant noodles.
"In the mind-space you can summon anything—but the taste is only what you imagine. Someone who's never eaten lobster can't conjure real lobster flavor."
She illustrated; Kiana lifted her cup and read aloud, "Pretty-girl flavor'… ramen?"
Slurping noodles, the Herrscher gave a dead-fish stare. After swallowing: "That's your subconscious talking—I just materialized it. Tastes like ordinary beef stew, of course."
"Oh." Kiana nodded, fork twirling; mid-slurp she paused, bit the noodle, swallowed, and stared again.
"Big Sis, why drag me in here anyway?"
The Herrscher dismissed the cups, steepled her fingers Gendo-style, and studied Kiana.
"Kiana, you handed control to me to save Raiden Mei. Payment: one quarter of your life."
Kiana blinked. "Huh?"
Seeing her face, the Herrscher burst out laughing. "Kidding. But it is about what just happened."
"Kiana… do you want to grow stronger?" She'd noticed that while she piloted Kiana's body, the girl had absorbed the combat experience and was adapting to the Authority bit by bit.
"Huh? Of course! If I'm stronger I can protect Mei!" Kiana swung her small fist—deceptively delicate, yet capable of exploding heads.
"Then… become a Herrscher? Your adaptability is excellent."
…
Kiana opened her eyes on Mei's lap. She'd neither accepted nor refused; only hesitation lingered.
'Ah, forgot to ask Sister who she really is…' Still thinking the Herrscher was some cheat-granting elder, Kiana never guessed it was her other self.
"Thank goodness you're awake!" Mei hugged her; ample softness pressed against Kiana's cheek, and her expression turned blissfully floaty.
"Hehe, I'm fine, Mei! I'm super tough!" Kiana flexed, successfully coaxing a laugh from Mei.
"All right… but why did you faint? Did the thing inside me leave after-effects?" Mei worried. Kiana waved her hands and explained about the powerful Big Sis in her own body.
"A strong Big Sister, huh…" Mei envied her; inside herself lurked a monster, while Kiana hosted a seemingly kind beauty. A little… disheartening.
"What do we do now, Kiana?" Having calmed herself, Mei looked to Kiana—without realizing it, she'd made Kiana her anchor.
"First priority: escape Nagazora—full of zombies, maybe Honkai Beasts too dangerous." Squeezing Mei's hand, step one was getting out of Chiba Academy!
Within the mind-space the Herrscher, wearing a white tee stamped 「STRONGEST」, lounged on a sofa crunching chips.
"You'll accept this power, Kiana." Memory told her Kiana would never refuse; rejection was impossible.