Seeing Kiana sobbing and choking, Himeko remained silent.
[If a comrade loses their mind and becomes a pawn of the Honkai, you must end their life without hesitation.]
This was the lesson her future self gave Kiana.
But...
Judging from those scenes...
Himeko gave a wry smile. "I'm truly not a qualified Valkyrie."
For a Valkyrie who resisted the Honkai, it was not uncommon to personally sacrifice their former companions.
And what she had done was absolutely not what a Valkyrie should do.
However, Himeko felt no regret for her own choice. On the contrary, she wholeheartedly approved of it.
Even if she were faced with that situation, she would make the same choice.
Rather than being a qualified Valkyrie, she preferred to be a good teacher, saving her students and guiding them onto the right path.
This choice was absolutely correct!
After Fu Hua's crucial moment in stopping Kiana, everyone had their own thoughts.
"Wow, that's Jingwei at her peak!"
Book of Fuxi couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the sight of the Jingwei Immortal embracing Kiana, reminiscent of the high-spirited Phoenix in her memory.
Hearing this, Fu Hua glanced at the image of herself with a complicated expression.
This gesture truly brought back memories.
It's a shame that she could hardly recreate that grace now.
Einstein brushed her hair. Although her expression remained calm, she was genuinely impressed by the image of the exiled, immortal-like figure.
"Is this Jingwei who has protected Shenzhou for thousands of years? Truly remarkable!"
Along with her admiration, she also noticed something special about Fu Hua in the image and asked sarcastically:
"But, your condition..."
Though she didn't know the details, seeing herself in the image gave her a rough idea. After a sigh, she spoke slowly. "That must be me manifested through Fenghuang Down..."
Before Einstein could ask, Fu Hua guessed what she wanted to know.
"That's the Eighth Divine Key I possess, the Key of Sentience, Fenghuang Down. It can manipulate consciousness and create illusions."
As she spoke, Fu Hua raised her hand and clenched it, revealing a single red feather.
This wasn't Fenghuang Down's true appearance, but it was enough to reveal a few details.
Combining this with Otto's previous attempt on her life, Fu Hua, having already deduced the general idea, lowered her hand and sighed softly.
"I'm probably in that state because of Fenghuang Down's 1st power."
"I must be using that power to bind my consciousness to Kiana through Fenghuang Down."
Fu Hua knew Fenghuang Down well, so she had a pretty good idea of the reason behind her who seemed like a ghost behind Kiana.
She continued to gaze at the unfinished image.
"Kiana, it's up to you from now on!"
Facing the Herrscher of the Void, who was about to resurrect, Fu Hua resolutely stepped forward, uttering a hasty remark before engaging the Herrscher's consciousness.
A dazzling flash of light brought Kiana, who had been sinking into the present, back to reality.
She gasped, trying to catch her breath.
But then, movement came from behind.
In Kiana's alert sight, several Temple-level Honkai beasts appeared.
They, their eyes blazing with murderous intent, charged directly at her after identifying their target.
Kiana, exhausted from fighting any longer, turned and attempted to flee, but how could she possibly outrun the tireless and agile Honkai beasts?
The scene froze in that moment, just like Mei's attack by the Honkai beasts sent by the Herrscher of the Void during the battle at the Schicksal Headquarters.
The surroundings grew silent; all was still.
Kiana was alone here.
She clutched her head, unable to endure the pain she had anticipated.
Before her, something began to crack and shatter, like glass.
At first, the sound was quiet, but it caught Kiana's attention, drawing her forward.
As the cracks grew larger, a dark figure appeared in front of her, shattered like broken glass.
"Da," "Da," "Da."
The footsteps approached. Kiana's azure eyes widened, reflecting the figure's eyes, though she could not see them clearly. Tears welled up faintly within her, then fell.
"Crack!"
A sliver of shattered glass, a figure in a fiery red battlesuit walked straight ahead, her face crystal clear under the light.
Dragging her fiery red sword, she stepped past Kiana, walking and walking.
Kiana lowered her head, daring not to look back, her body trembling as she crossed her arms across her chest.
Having reached the end, she paused, clutching the fiery red greatsword and turning slightly.
"Kiana, what are you waiting for?"
As the words fell, the shattered chip dissipated into a speck of light, and with it, her figure.
Everything returned to reality.
Hearing those words, Kiana realized something. Powerful Honkai energy fell alongside her tears, bursting forth from her body!
The attacking Honkai beast was easily swatted away.
The Herrscher of the Void's signature weapon, the Sub-space Lance, was also displayed behind her.
Recalling the past, recalling Himeko's words, Kiana, illuminated by the light, appeared incomparably holy.
"Himeko-sensei..."
Her tears drifted away with her resolute resolve. Her open eyes shone with the golden glow that represented the Herrscher.
But they were different from the cold, ruthless, indifferent, and hateful eyes of the Herrscher.
Kiana at this moment... Only determination shone in her eyes.
"I won't run away anymore!"
The video ended at this moment.
Everyone fell completely silent.
Even Einstein was solemn.
She had assumed that Himeko had survived, and that she had saved Kiana and provided her with guidance at a crucial moment.
She hadn't imagined that even in her absence, Himeko was guiding Kiana, her student, on the path forward.
Himeko looked at Kiana, her mouth about to speak.
But before she could utter a word, as soon as she opened her mouth, she felt a weight in her arms.
It was Kiana hugging her, in her Void Drifter form.
At that moment, she cried like a tearful person.
The Void Drifter's emotions had already deeply affected Kiana.
After watching this image, Kiana, under Void Drifter, felt as if she had experienced the future herself.
The feeling of having lost Himeko made her hold her tightly.
It was as if she feared that if she let go, Himeko would disappear like in those images.
"..."
Being held by Kiana, Himeko as speechless, her thoughts shimmering in silence.
Finally, she chose to remove the hair ornament from Kiana's hair, returning her to her normal self.
But...
There was no going back.
Looking at Kiana's reddened eyes, a sadness brewing within them, though her former spirit and liveliness could still be seen, Kiana understood that at this moment, she had begun to transform into Void Drifter.