Chapter 183 Kiana: Am I going to attend my own funeral?
Under the combined efforts of Raiden Mei and Raven, Benares was finally defeated, falling into the icy seawater. However, those glowing eyes seemed to signal that it had not been killed yet.
The final obstacle had been cleared. Raven turned her gaze toward the Raiden Mei behind her. By now, Mei was covered in mud, and the previous battle had left her body with numerous injuries, yet the conviction in those eyes had never wavered.
["I'm looking forward to seeing what you choose to do."]
["I will take her away."]
["I'm afraid you can only take back a corpse. I will kill her before then."]
["...I won't let that happen."]
["Heh, very well. It seems you and I both know... this is the only way!"]
Raiden Mei pointed her blade at Raven. Both knew this was the only way to resolve their differences. This battle was destined from the start.
Blades clashed. Raven's tenacity far exceeded Mei's imagination; she struggled to block those sharp claws with her sword, while a mocking smile remained on Raven's face.
["World Serpent knows everything about your past. Without the Gem of Conquest, you are nothing more than an ordinary girl."]
["You couldn't protect her in the past, so how can you do it now?"]
Facing Raven's interrogation, Raiden Mei grit her teeth.
["I don't understand... why destiny is so unfair to her..."]
["Is it because of her status? Because of her past?"]
["Or is it simply because she was born a Herrscher, even though she never wished to hurt anyone...?"]
["she is such a kind... such a gentle person... yet the world is so cruel to her...!"]
Raven sensed the Honkai energy beginning to gather around them. she realized instantly that Mei was utilizing the residual Herrscher energy left in her body from the Gem of Conquest.
["Have you lost your mind?!"]
Forcibly using such power carried a worst-case scenario: losing control and being torn apart by the energy!
["...If sacrificing my life can bring her back... then I am happy to do it...!"]
["After all, my life was saved by her!"]
["I know I've always hidden behind her back, always running away!"]
["But I have nowhere left to run. I must protect her! As long as I have a single breath left... I will never let you hurt her!!" ]
Raiden Mei's body erupted with powerful Honkai energy, her eyes turning blood-red as the power of thunder blasted Raven back. Facing the erupting Mei, the corner of Raven's mouth curled upward slightly.
["It seems this is your choice..."]
The crackling lightning gradually subsided. Mei propped herself up to stand, her eyes fading back to purple. Raven touched her charred gauntlet; the Soul Steel claws were emitting wisps of smoke, unable to endure further combat.
—That power was the real deal.
["A good look in your eyes, I like it—take her."]
["...?"]
["Take her and go. Don't let her hurt anyone; that is your promise. You should thank yourself; at the very end, you did indeed provide proof."]
After leaving those words, Raven's form turned into a gust of wind and vanished.
["Go, quickly, before I change my mind."]
["Raiden Mei, we will meet again. If you want to find me, you know where to go."]
Though Mei didn't know why Raven ultimately let Kiana go, she had no energy left for thought. she rushed into the ruins, but the sight before her made her heart tremble! Kiana Kaslana was curled up amidst the rubble, eyes tightly shut. Her skin was covered in purple patterns of Honkai erosion, and her face was as pale as paper, devoid of color. she looked as if she were in a deep slumber, but in truth... she was waiting for death.
Watching the Kiana in the ruins, the viewers in the stream felt their hearts break just like the in-game Mei.
[Darn you, Otto!!]
[Otto, you deserve to die! You really do!!]
[Waaaah, Tuna has completely given up hope, hasn't she? The reason she came to Nagazora was to find a place where she wouldn't hurt anyone to die in silence...]
[If Mei hadn't found her, would she really have died here?]
[But... even if Mei found her, what can she do? Tuna's body has deteriorated to the point of collapse... how can Mei save her?]
[Isn't Dr. Tesla still there? Trust the red-headed twin-tailed Anti-Entropy Telegraph Operator! Don't forget, the God-Slaying Spear was Tesla's creation too!]
The viewers were happy that Mei found Kiana, but quickly realized the danger. Kiana was a walking Honkai bomb; one wrong move and not only would she die, but she would take everyone with her. For the kind-hearted Kiana, this was the outcome she feared most.
"Kiana... what a fool." Watching the in-game Kiana waiting for death, Raiden Mei (real life) felt her eyes grow moist. "To avoid hurting us, she chose to stay here alone, waiting for death in solitude... Destiny is just too unfair to Kiana. Why must she endure so much sorrow and pain?"
Even in reality, Mei and Kiana's relationship was excellent—a consensus among everyone who knew them. Back at Senba Academy, Mei had been marginalized and oppressed after her father, Raiden Ryoma, was framed and imprisoned. These events happened in reality just as they did in the game. Back then, Mei had nearly given up on herself several times. It was during those moments that Kiana appeared in her world like a ray of light. Though Kiana was a total dummy, she had long since become an indispensable person in Mei's life. This bond was hard to define as just friendship or love... But at least, Mei wasn't bothered by the relationship depicted in the game. On the contrary, she felt that in another world, she and Kiana really were such a tragic pair of star-crossed lovers.
Compared to Mei's emotion, Kiana herself felt a bit... helpless. "I finally escaped from Kevin, only to wait for death here? My highlight reel just ended!" she complained. Why was her arc similar to Bronya's? After a single moment of glory, she immediately withered—Bronya lost her license, and she was dying of Honkai erosion. Hey, I'm the protagonist and I'm about to kick the bucket? Who writes a plot like this? Darn you, Su Mu! That guy definitely had a grudge against her! Absolutely!!
"Mhm, but knowing Su Mu, he won't let Kiana die like this..." Senti offered her view. "If I'm not mistaken, these chapters must be about Mei's growth! Just like Bronya and Kiana before! Haven't you noticed that in Chapter 16, Mei's monologues and inner thoughts take up most of the space? Maybe Mei will sacrifice something to save Kiana... Mei's highlight moment is probably coming soon!"
Senti's analysis had the chat nodding in agreement. No one believed Su Mu would actually "knife" Kiana here. she carried the hopes of too many people; if she died here, the story couldn't continue. However, the viewers couldn't figure out how Mei and Tesla would manage to save her.
Amidst the discussion, the game continued. Mei brought Kiana back to the Helios. Crossing countless obstacles, Mei finally reclaimed Kiana from Schicksal and World Serpent, ending a four-month search. For four months, Mei had dreamed of this reunion every day. But when it finally happened, there was no joy on her face, only fear.
When Tesla emerged, Mei anxiously asked about Kiana's condition. Tesla let out a sigh. Although Kiana was out of immediate danger and would wake soon, her condition was still worsening. The Herrscher consciousness was constantly accelerating the erosion of the core. For four months, Kiana had been resisting Sirin, but at this rate, her body would collapse first. To make matters worse, she had absorbed enough Honkai energy to destroy a city.
Clearly, Tesla realized how dire the situation was. she had already issued a Level 1 alert to HQ, and the Hyperion was en route at full speed. Facing Mei, Tesla spoke words that made Mei's blood run cold.
["Two months."]
["The time left for her, the time left for us... is less than two months."]
Kiana's life was like a candle in the wind. Tesla's words made the audience realize the severity of the erosion. And that was just an optimistic estimate. Kiana might not even make it that long...
"I only have two months left??" Tesla's diagnosis left Kiana baffled. she didn't know what expression to make; to hear the news of her own death for the first time in a game... then again, most people never hear of their own death at all. Haha. If she really died and attended her own in-game funeral... that would be a unique experience.
At the end of Chapter 16, Gray Snake contacted Raven. He was dissatisfied with her acting on her own. However, Raven told him that the Great Lord did not need a "half-human, half-Herrscher" Herrscher of the Void. she had found the key to Kiana's true "Emergence," and the Honkai energy in Nagazora had reached the critical point for the experiment. Clearly, the story of Nagazora was far from over...
Chapter 16 concluded. Senti had anticipated this result. "I knew it... the next chapter will be Mei's highlight. Su Mu loves this kind of cliffhanger!" she put on sunglasses as if she had seen through his tricks.
[Unmask the streamer!]
[Hey, why are you crying? Did you get chili powder in your eyes?]
[The streamer is actually the King of Anxious, but she's acting calm... you're dying to see the next chapter, aren't you?]
Seeing her viewers ruthlessly expose her, Senti broke down. "Can't you guys give me some face? And none of you have the right to talk—don't you want to see the next chapter too?"
Complaints aside, Senti had learned a lesson from playing Honkai 3rd for a year: being anxious was useless. Su Mu had set the chapters perfectly, and even she couldn't see the rest early. It was company trade secret, after all. And she knew her own mouth; if she knew the secret, she'd leak it and betray Su Mu's trust.
"Fine, fine, there's still a Chronicle to play, right? Let me see... [Chasing Dreams: Twin Stars]? The story of Rozaliya and Liliya?"
Senti opened the Chronicle. The Vodka Girls nearly had her rolling on the floor laughing. It was another joyful story featuring familiar faces in absurd roles... The viewers laughed along, their sadness from the main story diluted by the Olenyeva sisters' humor. The stream ended smoothly as usual.
After the stream, Senti offered to take Kiana and Mei out for dinner. Though she acted like a brat, she was great to her friends.
"We appreciate the invitation, Fu Senti... but is your allowance enough?" Kiana asked. she knew Fu Hua had always provided Senti's allowance since they started school. Senti was a big spender and had no earning power...
"Kiana, your news is outdated! Don't you know I'm a streamer with ten million fans now?" Senti boasted. "Speaking of which, I have Su Mu to thank! Ever since I became a Honkai 3rd streamer, my monthly income has been great! I even have spare cash to give to the Taixu Sect for mountain repairs! Old Timer's disciples actually call me 'cool' now! You should have seen how they used to look at me like I was just a kid..."
Senti had been living quite comfortably lately. There were few streamers with ten million fans, and among Honkai 3rd streamers, her popularity was peak. Her "true emotions" on stream—usually bickering with Fu Hua—were very entertaining. With Su Mu's help and frequent guest appearances by character prototypes, she was destined to be a star. Initially, the prototypes appeared for free, but Su Mu eventually started paying them appearance fees, with the streamer also covering half. Even among friends, clear accounts were necessary—a rule Su Mu established early on to prevent conflicts of interest. Though he didn't expect trouble, precautions were best.
Senti led Kiana and Mei to a Cantonese restaurant she frequented. After dinner and saying goodbye to Senti, Kiana was thinking about where to go with Mei.
"Kiana, can I see the place you're living now? I'm worried about you being alone..." Mei looked at Kiana with concern.
"It's nothing special, but if Mei wants to see it, let's go." Kiana was a bit reluctant, not because it was messy, but because...
Half an hour later, Raiden Mei stood frozen in the meticulously organized one-bedroom apartment. "Kiana, this... is your apartment?" she looked at Kiana with an "astounded" gaze, wondering if Kiana had been possessed.
"O-Of course it is!" "This room is too clean to be yours." "Even coming from Mei, that hurts! Can't I just suddenly become clean?" "No."
Mei's blunt answer made Kiana flinch, and she guiltily looked away. Mei scanned the room and found leftovers in the fridge. Impossible. Kiana cooking for herself?
"Kiana..." Mei closed the fridge with a helpless expression. "You didn't tidy this place yourself, did you?"
Kiana gave a dry laugh. "Haha... I—I helped, but Su Mu said I was too clumsy, so he showed me how to do it once..."
Mei's gaze narrowed on Kiana. After a moment, she sighed. "Kiana, what exactly is your relationship with Su Mu?"
"Eh?"
"I've wanted to ask for a while. Your relationship with him is way too close. I don't think any employee helps their boss with housework and cooks for them."
"Uh... but Su Mu just does." Kiana scratched her head. What does Mei mean? Su Mu is just like that... is it really that rare?
"It's not about being rare or not." Mei facepalmed. she felt Kiana had zero self-awareness. "How can you so calmly accept a man's care without feeling anything is wrong?"
Kiana mumbled inwardly, Isn't it what he should do? If he hadn't made me so much money, I'd have gone broke... But Mei's words hit a nerve. True. Su Mu nags me just like my dad, but why don't I find it annoying? It's strange. I only listen to Su Mu. Probably because her "Stupid Dad" was too much of a loser who lived off her mom, so he carried no authority.
Seeing Kiana's inability to answer, Mei understood the gist of it. As the saying goes, "the observer sees most clearly." she knew Kiana's personality perfectly. Being so thoroughly "tamed" by Su Mu was a shocking development.
"I just don't know if this is good or bad for Kiana." Mei fell into thought. Based on her earlier deduction, she felt Su Mu was a calculating person with an agenda. If Kiana were with him, would she be in danger?
I have to investigate. Mei made up her mind. she would use her own eyes to confirm what kind of person Su Mu really was.
END OF CHAPTER
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