Ignite the Flame of Tomorrow

The Queen, in that unknown space, gradually dissipated, taking with her her sins, her desires, her hatred, and her obsession.

People used to hate how cruel she was, but now that she's gone, they just feel a bit sad. 

The initial sin, ending in a fateful, dramatic conclusion.

Sirin, the good part of her, finally beat the bad part. The warmth she felt back then finally overcame the chaos and the artificial sins imposed upon her.

…This moment, is Kiana's victory.

This moment is Kiana's victory. She's thought a lot about herself and the world, and everyone is amazed by how much she's grown. The playful student she used to be is now on her way to becoming her teacher's most proud student. 

Kiana didn't break her promise. Instead, she took on a big responsibility. 

She walked alone, step by step, and finally won in the end. 

[Goodbye, Queen – Rest in peace… See you in another Side Story?]

[In the end, she left. Fighting to the very last as a villain. Take care!]

[Queen, I'm your fan! (jumps into her arms)]

[I hope in another world, the Queen can live the life she wants…]

-----

"Sirin... if she knew about this, I wonder if she'd be happy?"

Elysia stared at the empty space where the Queen had been. Only Kiana stood there, looking a bit lost, as if she was thinking about something.

She couldn't help but think back to the second Honkai, the girl who stood on the side of the Honkai.

Born from the sins of humanity, she died amidst the mistakes and regrets she had made.

If Kiana is considered her extension, has she already been given a chance to start over?

"Heaven granted her wish, gave her another chance, and two choices... I suppose she won't regret it anymore."

Eden gently squeezed Elysia's shoulder, looking at her, she smiled slightly, softly saying,

"Sirin... she has received her final gift. Kiana will carry all of her burdens and move forward. It's a very romantic ending."

"Romantic... huh? A bit sad, but there's nothing better, right? I thought the Queen was just Sirin, a bad guy, even though some people were confused by what she did..." 

Elysia forced a smile. "But I didn't expect... well, it makes sense now why the story hinted at this before. Kiana can never escape her... because how can you escape yourself?"

"In the end... I thought we'd will catch the Herrscher of the Void and make her good again, because she's so popular. But now that Luo Mo did it, everything makes sense?"

Elysia scratched her cheek and blinked her eyes. 

"If we made her good... what was the point of this whole story? This debate... well, at least it's more interesting than listening to the boring stuff at the council meetings," 

Mobius sat half-way up on the sofa, her right leg crossed over her left, elegance radiating with a hint of charm. She supported her small head with one hand, saying,

"Oh dear, even though the Queen is gone, we should keep watching the fight against the Herrscher of Domination... To be honest, I really like Seele right now. The way the puppet cries and screams is super entertaining." 

"Hehehe— Both personalities are incredibly steadfast, whether good or evil."

Vill-V tossed her hat into the air, like a magician making an entrance. 

But no one was paying attention, which made her feel a little sad. 

As she spoke, everyone finally looked at her. Just as she was about to keep talking, someone unexpected interrupted her. 

"She'll become a hero. She has talent, courage, and belief... she doesn't lack anything anymore."

Kevin said calmly, his eyes full of approval and anticipation for Kiana in the video.

Protagonist... maybe she can really take his place and save the world. That plan... I hope it never happens.

"Unexpectedly, even you, Kevin, recognize her?"

Elysia immediately went up to Kevin, waving her hand in front of his face like she wanted to check if he was really awake. 

"Come on, say with me, one two three, one two three..."

"Elysia... I'm very awake. What I just said was what I really meant."

Kevin closed his eyes, saying helplessly.

"Mostly you've been quiet this whole time, I didn't expect you to suddenly speak... It felt like… like Mobius suddenly agreeing with me, weird, how is it, good comparison, right?"

Elysia pulled her hand back, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Hey! What do you mean, I agree... I disagree because it makes sense! Don't make it sound like it's a sure thing!"

Mobius, always getting upset when Elysia said something about her, pouted.

"Hmm??" Elysia laughed softly, not saying anything. 

...

"Sirin... I guess this is a good ending, in that world."

Kallen said heavily, her face filled with a sense of weight and guilt.

"Kiana has come so far. The Kiana in the game and the Kiana in real life… it's truly amazing."

Durandal sighed, her words filled with admiration. Kiana was strong and never gave up, always trying to protect others... She's grown into someone Durandal never thought she could be. 

"The more problems she faces, the more she grows, the more she keeps going, like no evil could ever beat her... She has so much energy, it's amazing."

Kallen couldn't help but praise Kiana.

She was truly happy to have someone like Kiana in the new generation of Valkyries. 

She also believed that the Kiana in this world would also grow to be just as amazing. 

"Sirin's story concludes here. Kiana will embark on a new journey... this was once an insurmountable barrier in her dreams, but she has crossed it."

Luo Mo summarized quickly, almost like it was nothing special.

Then, he finally got excited and told them what was coming next.

"So, next, she's going to meet someone she's thought about a lot. The flame in her dreams, the endless darkness, Sirin's curse, the thing that will save her heart..."

"Himeko–"

"Hmm? Himeko?–" Theresa exclaimed, surprised, as she looked at the screen. The others also looked at what was happening in the story. 

-----

The weight of the Queen's soul, something people had easily forgotten about, disappeared into the unknown darkness, fading away like a light.

Kiana watched her go without saying anything. Maybe it was sadness, maybe it was relief, maybe it was grief...

But regardless, the shadows that had shrouded her heart had dissipated. Even though the path ahead was still filled with endless storms, she was still willing to move forward.

She had grown strong enough to face the Herrscher of the Void, a scary nightmare she used to be afraid of. But the Haste Gems in her hand felt strangely hot. 

The one she yearned for... caused a turmoil in Kiana's heart, a heart that had remained unyielding even in battle.

Would she be satisfied with her performance?

Could she see everything, see the path she had taken?

Would she be lonely?

Kiana didn't know, but she had no choice. She couldn't miss this chance to see her.

A white world surrounded Kiana. All she could see was a bright white light that was spreading out. The place around her felt a little strange, but also a little familiar.

It was St. Freya, a school she hadn't been to in a long time.

Kiana knew why she was there.

The moment that person appeared, Kiana couldn't stop looking at her.

Her Reason told Kiana that this was a world created from the core's memories.

But even so, she still wanted another chance to see her.

Even if it was just to say goodbye.

She would be happy.

She ran towards the person, wanting to see her face, her fiery red armor, the image she had seen so many times in her dreams.

"Himeko... Sensei..."

Her voice was unusually hoarse. The person before her was the one she had dreamed of seeing.

Sirin said Himeko had cursed her, but that wasn't true. She had entrusted everything to her, her beauty, her blessings, her hope for life.

It was the most beautiful wish in the world, the last and most romantic thing a teacher could do for a student!

...So how could it be a curse?

Kiana had thought about a lot of things to say when they met, but the words got stuck in her throat, she couldn't say them. 

"I... did I appear too suddenly?"

She smiled softly, a little embarrassed, seeing the student she once thought was the most mischievous, as if she were about to cry.

[Not at all, not at all. Appear a few more times!!]

[The dead knife suddenly starts to attack me... I'm caught off guard]

[It's Himeko! Himeko-Sensei... I didn't expect to see Himeko again here, Kiana, I'm tearing up]

[The flames that lead to tomorrow... until now, ignite the flames of tomorrow... from then on, the flames are her color]

[The Haste Gems, does it still hold Himeko's consciousness? It's a pity... this is a conversation destined for goodbye]

Kiana shook her head forcefully, biting her lip hard.

"Himeko-Sensei... you haven't changed at all."

"Really? That makes me happy." Himeko smiled, taking the compliment without a problem. 

"..."

"I'm so happy to see you again, Himeko-Sensei... at least I can say goodbye to you properly this way."

Kiana forced her voice to remain steady, trying to smile as she said,

"Really, I'm not the only one who thinks you've changed a lot, right?"

"Yeah, everyone says so."

Everything changed after... you.

"So, Kiana, you finally defeated the Herrscher of the Void, right?"

"Thanks to everyone's help."

"Yeah, I believed you could do it."

Himeko smiled gently, and they looked at each other. There were so many things they wanted to say, but they didn't know where to start. Suddenly, she asked, "So... do you want to see St. Freya?"

Kiana was a little surprised, but quickly nodded. 

...

Inside the gem, Himeko's consciousness was strong enough to change the place around them. In a blink of an eye, they were on the school grounds.

Green trees provided shade, soft grass grew, the school buildings stretched out in the distance, marble doors stood tall, and a fountain made a gentle gurgling sound. 

Himeko and Kiana strolled through the familiar campus. It was a place that had been filled with the intimacy of teacher and student.

After all they had been through, they longed for what it was like back then.

Not because it was especially beautiful, but because they missed the people who were there.

"It's so nostalgic, this campus full of young people."

Himeko stretched out comfortably, looking at the scenery around her, and sighed. 

"Yeah, I remember I used to wish I could grow up faster."

"But I didn't expect growing up to be so hard."

"If you could do it all over again, would you change your mind?"

"Probably not. Wouldn't that make me not me anymore?"

Kiana smiled, looking a little unsure, but then she became determined and answered softly.

All the memories they shared were beautiful to her.

But she didn't regret it, it was a choice she made back then. Growing up is a path without shortcuts, you can only move forward.

"Look, that small grove. You always hid there when you skipped class."

Himeko pointed with her finger, that lush green grove, bathed in sunlight, was very noticeable in the vast campus.

"I was always curious, why did you always hide there? It was easy to find you."

"Haha... because, it has the best sunlight."

Kiana chuckled nervously, it was always a little awkward to talk about skipping class in front of a teacher. 

"Remember that wall, Kiana?"

"Yeah, I used to climb over it a lot." Kiana said with a playful smile.

"Theresa was so worried, she probably raised the wall three times. But you could still climb over it."

"I wonder why it got harder to climb over every time."

Kiana finally solved a mystery she'd had for a long time. She thought her training wasn't good enough!

"But she didn't make it taller again after that," Himeko said softly.

"W-why?"

"Because she was afraid you'd get hurt."

Himeko's words were simple, but they made perfect sense. She made the wall taller to stop Kiana from skipping class, but stopped making it taller because she was afraid Kiana would get hurt.

They continued to walk through the empty campus, as if they were trying to pick up the fragments of their past.

[This line made me tear up, such a simple sentence, yet it conveys Theresa's helplessness and affection.]

[Although I really want to blurt out a comment about Theresa being too short, or that St. Freya doesn't have enough funds... but, I still feel a bit touched, it's all for Kiana!]

[Wuwuwu - Because she was afraid you'd get hurt!! Theresa, is this a side of you that actually exists?]

-----

"Wow, this is where I first met Kiana. It's exactly the same as the real-world school. Uh... Kiana always hid in that patch of grass when she skipped class?"

Pardofelis's eyes lit up, pointing to the familiar patch of grass on the screen, excitedly saying,

"Oh~, that time, huh? It's a pity, I was planning to look for Mei that time, but I returned empty-handed."

Elysia sighed, recalling the scene from back then.

The sunlight there was indeed warm and comfortable, making even the lazy Pardofelis linger there.

"Hehe, that's indeed a good spot. What's that saying? It seems I and Kiana, heroes think alike!"

Pardofelis rubbed the head of her can, a bit proud. It was rare for her to encounter an area where she excelled.

"...Raising the wall, huh? It seems my first impression was right."

Eden couldn't help but raise her eyes and look at the wall outside the window. Even though it had been patched up and decorated, the slightly higher section still looked strange...

...But, she didn't dislike the change.

Art is always meant to serve people. From the very beginning, she has expressed her fondness for this kind of warmth.

"I like the atmosphere here, it's warm, relaxed, everything feels warm... but,"

Elysia closed her eyes slightly, then opened them again, still brimming with laughter.

"With Kevin and Kalpas here, I have complete confidence in the warmth!"

"Hmph!" Kalpas glared at her, letting out a cold snort.

Kevin glanced at her, silently changing direction.