Good grief!
So it really is Yae Sakura!
Kiana tried her best not to let her surprise show as she looked at Yae Sakura. "Now you can explain everything."
"Do you know about the Kami?"
Yae Sakura opened with a bombshell.
"Kami… the gods?"
Kiana froze completely. Izumo, Edict Edges, Kami—if she still didn't realize what was going on, all those hours of playing Honkai would've been for nothing.
"Yes. The Kami."
Judging by Kiana's composure and strength, Yae Sakura assumed she could handle the truth without her mind collapsing under it, and so she spoke openly.
Pointing to the celestial body above that resembled a moon, Yae Sakura said, "There—upon that planet we call Takamagahara—dwells a host of mad Kami."
"Long ago, the Yaoyorozu no Kami descended upon this world, bringing calamity to all living things. To save the land, Izumo gathered its full might and fought back. After an unimaginably heavy sacrifice, they finally slew Sovereign of Revelation, and from its remains forged the Edict Edge—'Truth.'"
"From that moment on, Izumo embarked upon the path of slaying Kami to protect the world. A thousand years ago, aided by the master of 'Truth,' who deconstructed divine power and rebuilt miracles, and at the cost of the lives of all the pioneers, the remaining eleven heavenly gods were banished—granting Izumo a thousand years of peace."
So this wasn't a parallel world of Honkai Impact.
It was…
Star Rail?!
Yae Sakura continued, drawing the Narukami from her waist and gazing at the blade. "After the fall of Sovereign of Revelation, Izumo forged eleven more incomplete Edict Edges. The Narukami enshrined in the Raiden family's shrine was one of them."
"For a thousand years, we have fought to keep the evil gods from returning. But with the death of 'Truth's' blade master and no successor able to reach their level, we can no longer stop their revival. To save Izumo from the Kami, we must complete the twelve Edict Edges in full!"
Kiana's expression was complex as she looked at the Narukami in Yae Sakura's hand. "Then that thunder earlier…"
"It was Almighty Thunder," Yae Sakura replied, glancing toward the horizon. "We retrieved Narukami because we are preparing to march against that Kami."
Kiana's mind was spinning. She had only tried to lure Yae Sakura down to snatch the sword—but she hadn't expected this revelation. Was this really Star Rail? Was this Izumo, the world consumed by the shadow of Nihility?
She raised her gaze to the black sun above.
So that… was the Shadow of IX.
"That is why I am not a thief," Yae Sakura said earnestly, clarifying once more. "This was at Raiden Ryoma's request. I was asked to retrieve this blade—not for greed, but to save Izumo."
"Only by slaying Almighty Thunder with Narukami can this blade become a true Edict Edge."
This was Star Rail.
Then… did that mean the Mei she knew was actually—Acheron?
Kiana barely heard the rest of the explanation.
Yae Sakura assumed she was stunned by the truth and sighed softly. She could understand her reaction—her own had been much the same when she first learned the truth. Once, she had been like Raiden Mei, guarding a small shrine that enshrined the very blade now hanging at her waist—Frost.
"I've told you all that I can," Yae Sakura said at last. "Now that you know the truth, I must take my leave."
She sheathed Narukami and turned to go.
But Kiana suddenly lunged, catching her off guard—trying to seize the blade by force. Yae Sakura swiftly caught her hand, stopping the attack.
"Why attack me? I told you the truth, as promised."
She had slain countless Kami, her reflexes honed to perfection—yet she hesitated, not because she couldn't react, but because she didn't understand.
She had given Kiana the truth. Why would she still attack?
Did she not believe her?
Kiana's other hand struck forward again, reaching for Narukami.
Yae Sakura twisted aside, deflecting the blow and shielding the sword, her expression hardening.
What strength…
She had slain many Kami herself, and in doing so, had been tainted by their power—becoming half-Oni.
In the path of slaying gods, being half-Oni wasn't entirely a curse. As long as one resisted falling into madness, their power far surpassed that of ordinary humans.
Yet even with her half-Oni strength, Yae Sakura found herself being forced back in pure power—a fact that shocked her to her core.
"No matter what you say, I'm taking Narukami back today!"
During their clash, Kiana could sense that Yae Sakura was holding back. She wasn't fighting to hurt her—she was only defending.
Kiana believed her words, but even so, Narukami had to be returned to Mei. Today.
"The shrine belongs to Mei now!" Kiana shouted, throwing another punch. "If you want to take Narukami, then do it properly—go to Mei and talk to her face to face! Don't sneak around like a thief. Only Mei can decide where that sword belongs!"
"You really are…"
Yae Sakura frowned deeply. She had already explained everything as clearly as she could.
"It's not that I don't want to," she said with quiet patience. "It's because Lord Ryoma doesn't wish for Raiden Mei to learn the truth too soon."
"If you're going to drag her into this, then you owe her honesty from the start!"
Kiana's punches were unrefined—she only had the basics Mei had taught her. Other than raw strength, her technique was rough and unpolished. She hadn't yet reached the stage of real combat training.
Against Yae Sakura—a battle-hardened swordswoman who had slain countless Kami—Kiana stood no chance of truly winning.
"You risk your lives fighting these gods, don't you?" Kiana pressed, her strikes relentless.
But Yae Sakura still only dodged and deflected, refusing to counterattack. To any onlooker, it might have looked like Kiana was actually keeping up.
"If you don't tell Mei now, what then? Will you wait until you're all dead to let her know?!"
Yae Sakura stayed silent. She didn't understand Raiden Ryoma's reasoning, but she respected it.
"Give Narukami back!"
"He disappeared without even a word to her. If he wants Narukami, then he should come and take it himself!"
Yae Sakura didn't expect Kiana to improve so quickly mid-fight. Her mind drifted for a split second at those words—just enough for Kiana to seize the moment.
Her hand darted out, fingers closing around Narukami's hilt.
Got it!
"Bang—!"
The moment Kiana grabbed the sword, Yae Sakura finally struck.
Kiana didn't even see her move. In an instant, pain exploded through her arm, followed by a blunt, crushing impact against her shoulder. The next thing she knew, she was flying backward, crashing hard into the ground.
Yae Sakura stood untouched, letting out a soft sigh. She bowed slightly and said, "I'm sorry. But I cannot give you the blade. If I return alive, I will apologize—to you, and to Raiden Mei."
With that, she turned decisively to leave.
"Don't you dare leave!"
Kiana's voice trembled. Pale, she staggered unsteadily to her feet.
Yae Sakura hadn't intended to cause lasting harm—she'd only used enough force to immobilize, inflicting pain sharp enough to feel like her limbs were breaking.
"Leave Narukami… for Mei!"