She's gone.
Kiana wasn't too worried about her dying in the coming battle against Almighty Thunder. As one of HoYoverse's most famous heroines, there was no way she'd die so early in the story.
"Ow… it hurts so bad…"
Both her arms throbbed painfully.
After Yae Sakura left, Kiana's face twisted in agony. "That fox really doesn't hold back…"
The pain was so bad she almost wanted to chop her arms off. She didn't even know how Yae Sakura had done it—her arms were limp and useless, and the pain wouldn't stop. It was constant, unbearable.
Both arms felt like they'd been broken. Yae Sakura hadn't gone easy on her at all.
"Guess brute strength isn't enough after all."
Kiana sighed and, for the third time since arriving in this world, opened her unactivated system interface.
A Pandora's box.
Name: Kiana
Faction: Honkai
Talent: Authority of Finality
Skills: None
Finality Progress: 0%
Honkai Energy Concentration (World): 0%
Summary: Your existence will trigger an unknown change. Once your journey begins, remember to monitor the world's Honkai Energy concentration.
System Status: Inactive
Kiana's eyes lingered on the translucent panel before her—specifically, on the line that read Honkai Energy Concentration (World).
It wasn't hard to understand.
That note—"(World)"—meant her actions could affect an entire planet.
If she activated her system, she would likely begin transforming into the full form of the Herrscher of Finality. But in doing so, she would also bring about a disaster—Honkai—that would devastate this world.
That was why she couldn't bring herself to activate it.
Honkai didn't just destroy individuals—it destroyed entire civilizations.
Kiana closed her eyes, recalling the countless deaths from the Previous Era in Honkai Impact 3rd, the endless numbers lost in every Honkai Eruption.
She let out a wry laugh and closed the system.
"Still can't do it…"
She had played Star Rail. She knew the story of Penacony. She knew the final fate of Izumo.
And yet…
Honkai wasn't any kinder than the gods of Takamagahara—or the Shadow of Nihility.
"Let's just wait and see."
She turned away from the glowing system window and, nursing her aching arms, began walking back.
She'd have to tell Mei everything about Yae Sakura. Whatever anyone else thought, Kiana only cared about one thing—Raiden Mei wanted to see her father again.
She wouldn't let that become an unfulfilled wish.
Mei was destined to walk the path of godslaying. Narukami would one day fall into her hands. Without her, Mei would become Izumo's sole survivor.
As the one who brings its end.
"Raiden 'Bosenmori' Mei… or should I say… Acheron."
Kiana muttered softly, her expression complicated as she made her way back.
She'd chased Yae Sakura far into the forest. Even walking back quickly, it would take at least half an hour to return to the shrine.
As she walked, her thoughts churned—how could she possibly save Izumo? How could she save a world fated to be devoured by Nihility?
Without Honkai's power, without her system, she was just an ordinary girl.
She had no strength to fight against the Aeons.
But could Honkai really triumph over Nihility?
She thought of the Cocoon of Finality in Honkai Impact 3rd, and uncertainty filled her heart.
Head lowered, lost in thought, she didn't realize how far she'd walked until she spotted a familiar figure approaching from the path ahead.
Her eyes lit up instantly—it was Mei.
Kiana instinctively tried to raise a hand to wave, but the searing pain shot through her arms, making her wince and grit her teeth.
"Kiana? What happened to you?"
Unable to wait any longer, Mei had set out to look for her. After calming her thoughts at the shrine, worry had driven her to follow the path into the forest.
But she hadn't found Kiana anywhere along the way, and with every step, her unease had grown heavier.
Until finally, seeing Kiana before her, she felt relief wash over her.
She didn't say it aloud, but…
Kiana was all she had left.
"It's nothing, I just fell," Kiana said, forcing an awkward smile as Mei ran up to her.
"You fell?"
Mei's tone was full of disbelief. Seeing Kiana's drooping arms, she didn't bother with politeness. Just as Kiana often ignored boundaries and leaned close to her, Mei grabbed both of her hands without hesitation.
The moment Mei's fingers pressed against her left hand, the pain doubled. Kiana's entire body trembled, and she sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. Tears welled up in her eyes.
It hurts—it hurts so much!
Damn fox! She really didn't hold back!
Kiana regretted it now—she shouldn't have gone easy on Yae Sakura. She shouldn't have smiled at her. And she definitely shouldn't have agreed to become friends.
Who the hell hits their friend that hard?!
Of course, Kiana conveniently ignored the fact that she'd been the one trying to snatch the sword from Yae Sakura—and that Yae Sakura hadn't agreed to the "friend" part until after knocking her flat.
Mei's worried expression darkened as soon as she touched Kiana's arm and saw her eyes redden from pain.
A cold, uncontrollable emotion rose from deep within her—a flash of anger unlike anything she'd felt before.
"Who?"
Her own voice startled her. She had never heard herself sound this cold, this sharp.
"Who did you fight?"
She recognized that kind of technique. She knew exactly what it was.
Izumo was steeped in martial culture—swordsmanship and combat arts flourished here. In Nagazora City alone, there were at least eighteen dojos.
And where martial arts thrived, new techniques constantly emerged. Methods designed to disable opponents quickly without causing permanent harm were particularly popular.
She'd once participated in a martial arts tournament.
She had seen a fighter use a similar technique—rendering his opponent helpless, writhing in pain on the arena floor.
"A woman named Yae Sakura," Kiana said through gritted teeth, her voice quick and trembling from the pain.
"Yae Sakura…"
Mei quietly repeated the name, committing it to memory. This kind of injury couldn't be treated easily—not with medicine, not with technique. The only cure was time.
Releasing Kiana's hand gently, she said in a firm tone that brooked no argument, "We're going back."
She didn't ask where that woman had gone.
She didn't ask whether Kiana had found Narukami.
Even as a shrine maiden, right now, Kiana mattered more to her than the sacred blade.
Besides, Narukami had been taken by her father. That much was certain. The cold, detached words in his letter had already erased any thought she had of pursuing him further.