"...?"
"No, I just felt like saying that to you." Kiana blinked, showing a slightly embarrassed smile. "Talking to you is interesting."
What did she mean, talking to her was interesting?
Herta stared at her with those beautiful eyes, her tone carrying a hint of danger. "If you tell me that everything you've been saying is just to amuse yourself at my expense..."
"That doesn't count as amusement, does it? Aren't we just having a normal conversation?" Kiana leaned back slightly.
"You call this normal?"
"...Haha, I guess I did get a bit carried away." Kiana shifted awkwardly to the side. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention and it turned out like this."
The possibility that she was being toyed with had increased again. Herta stared at Kiana expressionlessly, considering how best to deal with her.
"You think this is fun?" Herta said flatly. "I have something even more interesting here. Do you want to take a look?"
"Next time. Definitely next time."
That was probably the limit of Herta's patience. If Kiana kept pushing her luck, things likely wouldn't end well.
"I'm not in the mood to play around with you. Be serious and answer my question," Herta said again. "You've been affected. That's the price, right?"
"That question..."
Kiana paused. Herta fixed her with a steady gaze, as if daring her to spout nonsense again.
"You might not know this, but I've lost control more than once." Swallowing back her earlier frivolity, Kiana said, "I thought it was because I hadn't fully become a Herrscher—that I hadn't completely mastered my power. But now it seems that's only part of the reason."
Lost control?
Was she referring to when, in the Stigmata world, she had been stimulated and suddenly transformed into a Herrscher, losing her sense of self and acting purely on instinct?
So even outside the Stigmata, Kiana had experienced similar situations. Thinking about it carefully, it was probably related to the Izumo she mentioned.
In the final cycle of the Stigmata world, Kiana had recalled what happened in the previous two cycles. Though she hadn't said it outright, it was obvious.
She cared deeply about the fact that she had destroyed that world after becoming a Herrscher. Her willingness to so readily accept Ruan's proposal likely had a lot to do with that as well.
"If I had to put it into words, I really can't describe it well. But the danger of Honkai energy is undeniable."
Herta suddenly asked, "Aside from Nanook, have you had contact with other Aeons?"
"IX!" Kiana blurted out instinctively. "If it weren't for IX, how could I have—"
"Don't stop halfway through a sentence."
"How should I put it... To this universe, Honkai energy is more like an external energy." Kiana said, "I don't know whether you've discovered anything in your research, but in my eyes, its danger is beyond doubt."
"But when I faced IX back then, if I didn't use Honkai against it, I would have died for sure. I had no choice but to open this Pandora's box."
"So, no other Aeons?"
"Why are you asking that?"
Herta looked at her. "Do you know why Nous is an Aeon?"
"Huh?"
Kiana looked completely confused. She didn't pay much attention to these things. An Aeon was an Aeon—she had never studied any of them in detail.
"It has calculated everything in the universe," Herta said. "In other words, it has anchored the future of this universe."
Now Kiana understood what Herta was getting at.
She was curious—curious whether Kiana herself was included in Nous' calculations.
What was the answer?
Of course not.
Her existence, and Honkai itself, were outsiders.
"So that's what you're curious about." Kiana smiled. "Herta, do you know what would happen if I died?"
"You'd turn into a Herrscher?"
Kiana nodded, then shook her head. "While I'm alive, Honkai energy is still under my control. Even if I can't fully control it or render it harmless, I can at least confine its scope."
"You've already seen its corrosive and assimilative abilities. It doesn't belong to any Path, yet it can erode and assimilate all Paths."
"If I die, will Honkai energy disappear?"
"No, It will spread like cancer to every corner of this universe, until it assimilates the entire cosmos."
The corrosive nature of Houkai Gakuen's Honkai energy was obvious to all.
And once the entire universe was assimilated by Honkai, everything within it would become part of Honkai.
"That will be the end of the entire universe."
"And in the end, everyone will become part of Honkai..."
"That is the truth."
Kiana raised her hand. A diamond-shaped crystal formed from Honkai floated at her fingertips as she continued, "They turn a blind eye to it, because any interference could lead to unpredictable changes."
"But there's no need to worry. I'll find a solution." The crystal dissipated as Kiana smiled. "This isn't an unsolvable problem."
While thinking about how one might stop the spread of Honkai if it erupted, Herta asked, "Is this your speculation?"
"Yes, it's a guess." Kiana looked at her in slight surprise. "You're really sharp."
Kiana had only learned some of these things after going through the Stigmata world.
She should have known them back in Izumo, but at the time she had been stuck, and then she had fallen into a long slumber.
That was why she had missed certain information.
Looking at Herta beside her, a thought suddenly came to Kiana.
"How about we try it?"
Herta glanced at her.
"A Honkai Simulated Universe," Kiana said. "I'll build one for you—to observe and understand Honkai energy."
What she had mentioned earlier had been just a joke, but now she was genuinely considering it.
Herta seemed particularly interested in Honkai energy.
Her agreeing to stay with her was largely because of that interest.
Herta's expression shifted slightly. "You're not joking?"
"If you're interested, I can help you build it. We already have the data." Kiana said. "The data from the three cycles we experienced is all stored with Araya."
"All of it?"
"Yes, all of it." Kiana nodded. "I had her preserve the data from the Stigmata trials, using the second cycle as the primary reference, and saved everything."
Herta fell into thought. Even though she had already vented her frustration, hearing Kiana say this inevitably made her recall what had happened before.
"So? Want to give it a try?"
"I have no reason to refuse."
Of course Herta wouldn't refuse. She had always been deeply curious about the existence of Honkai. During the Stigmata trials, she had come into contact with its properties and gained an understanding of what kind of power it truly was.
Did it end there?
Of course not.
What Kiana had just said rekindled the curiosity in Herta's heart that had yet to fully fade.
"Then let's find a suitable time?"
"Why do we need to find a suitable time? Can't we do it now?" Herta said. "Since I'm here and still quite interested in this, hurry up."
"Now?" Kiana looked startled. "Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"What part of it is inappropriate?"
"I still have to go to Penacony."
"That's exactly why you should hurry and stop wasting time," Herta said. "If you start now, you might even make it in time for the opening of the Charmony Festival."
Kiana: "..."
It wouldn't actually take too long. Herta had experience building a Simulated Universe, Kiana had the data in hand.
And with Araya, the Stigmata Terminal, assisting them, all the necessary elements were already in place. They just needed to put everything together.
It felt like she had picked up a rock only to drop it on her own foot. Kiana couldn't exactly refute Herta's reasoning. She had originally planned to arrive at Penacony ahead of time, but now it seemed plans couldn't keep up with change.
Kiana summoned Araya.
As soon as Araya appeared and saw Herta, a layer of vigilance surfaced on her otherwise indifferent little face.
Clearly, she recognized Herta.
"Mother?"
Araya looked at Kiana in confusion. She had only just returned not long ago. Had this woman bewitched Mother again and taken her away for research?
"I'm going to build a Honkai Simulated Universe with her. I need your help."
Kiana noticed her wariness toward Herta and glanced at Herta, as if silently asking what exactly she had done before.
So she was just helping, not being handed over to this woman for experimentation. Araya relaxed.
"I will do my best to cooperate."
Herta directly ignored Araya's vigilance and Kiana's earlier questioning. As if remembering something, she asked, "What about your Stigmata system?"
"I was planning to deal with it in a couple of days."
"There's no need to wait," Herta said. "Take advantage of this time to perfect your Stigmata system first, then build the Simulated Universe."
"Well..."
Kiana hesitated, suddenly feeling extremely busy. It seemed like there was no end in sight to everything she had to do.
"Hurry up. With the time you're spending talking, it could already be done. Efficiency, understand?"
Kiana could only switch into work mode, projecting part of the system's functions onto Araya so she could distribute badges on her behalf.
...
"She's already made her preparations?"
After listening to Acheron recount the recent events, Sirin couldn't stop her expression from turning somewhat dazed. She had buried the past deep within her heart.
Life could only move forward.
Especially when she still bore the heavy responsibility of safeguarding the Ark, she could not allow herself to sink into the mire of the past.
She was not Acheron.
She had her own duties.
Looking at the land that had once again regained vitality, Sirin couldn't help but say, "Isn't this already good enough? Why does she have to push herself?"
This matter was definitely not that simple.
The price to be paid would certainly not be small.
"She can't get past the hurdle in her own heart," Acheron said.
No one had blamed her for it, but Kiana herself couldn't forgive herself.
Acheron understood how she felt.
"Didn't you try to persuade her?" Sirin couldn't help asking. "You've been following her—have you just been following, doing nothing else?"
"This is her wish."
"Bullshit!" Sirin snapped. "Raiden Mei, are you still a child? Whatever she says goes? Do you never learn your lesson? Have you already forgotten how she asked me to take you away so she could stay behind and gamble on a slim chance of survival?"
A crack appeared in Acheron's usually indifferent expression. She looked at Sirin. "This is different."
"You've been completely talked in circles by her," Sirin said. "These two things are essentially no different at all."
"I didn't want to speak too harshly in front of her before. I didn't expect you to be completely useless," Sirin said irritably.
"She's very stubborn."
"I don't even know what to say to you." Sirin's tone was complicated. "Blindly indulging her and letting her do dangerous things is not a good thing."
"This is the last time."
Sirin rolled her eyes. "If there's a first time, there's a second. After what happened in Izumo, didn't she promise you there would never be something like that again?"
Acheron couldn't refute that. After a moment of silence, she said, "There won't be a next time. I won't give her that chance."
Kiana's obsession with Izumo stemmed from the fact that she had sacrificed most of the people there and still failed to save that world.
She carried guilt in her heart.
And Acheron would cut off the possibility at its root. She would never allow Kiana to be dragged into some perilous act of salvation again.
"Don't spoil her too much," Sirin sighed. "Haven't you noticed? The more you indulge her, the more reckless she becomes. She relies on her strength and doesn't take her own safety seriously at all."
Acheron hadn't come to Sirin to discuss this. She directly skipped over the topic of Kiana and said, "That's the situation. Kiana will return soon to construct the Stigmata world."
Herta's matter weighed heavily on Acheron's mind. She didn't want to discuss it with Sirin, nor did she want to hear Sirin speak as if she understood Kiana so well.
Did she not know the things Sirin was saying?
She knew.
But Kiana was just that stubborn.
"You've already said that once."
Seeing that she didn't want to talk about it, Sirin swallowed her words. She decided that next time she saw Kiana, she would have a proper talk with her herself.
It seemed she couldn't be too gentle when speaking to Kiana. Otherwise, Kiana would think she was supporting her.
If she didn't loudly oppose her—
That meant support.
She must be thinking exactly that.
"By the way, it's good that you came. There's something else I want to talk to you about."
Acheron looked at her in confusion. Something other than Kiana? Could it be about the Ark?
"Bronya hasn't replied to my messages for several days. The messages I sent to the others haven't received any response either." Sirin's expression turned grave. "I suspect something may have happened."
"The Ark... isn't it docked at the Luofu?"
"I sent messages to friends on the Luofu too. No one has replied," Sirin said.
"Perhaps the Luofu has sailed into a special region, so the signal is poor?"
Sirin shook her head. "I'm worried. I was about to go there myself. Since you've come at the right time, come with me."