84 The Queen Comes!
Suddenly, Kiana's eyes, which were holding Mei in a tight embrace, changed color. They went from a clear blue to a piercing gold, as if something had awakened within her.
A brilliant white light enveloped Kiana, transforming her appearance. Her pupils became diamond-shaped crosses, her long white hair was adorned with a black feather around her neck, and she wore a black strapless dress that hugged her curves.
She also wore black silk stockings and black high heels with orange accents. Behind her, wings of light and a Spear of Subspace materialized, as if heralding the arrival of a queen.
[Wow, she looks amazing! Wait, what happened to my cute Tuna? She doesn't look like herself anymore!]
[She looks different from the Second Herrscher I saw before, but she has the same aura!]
Kiana spoke in a calm and cold voice, "I'm so happy that I woke up with you by my side, my other half."
"Now, let us reunite as one, my dear!"
Then, the players realized that this Kiana wanted something from Mei. She wanted the Herrscher Gem that was embedded in Mei's body, the source of her power.
Mei and Kiana began to fight, using their Herrscher abilities against each other. But sadly, Mei was no match for Kiana, who had the advantage of being the original Herrscher.
Mei was defeated, and Kiana reached out to take her gem. The screen faded to black, and the chapter 8 of the game ended.
Instead of a final battle, the player is greeted with a video, an animated short that wraps up the episode.
The player clicks on it, curious to see how the story ends. Then, a flash of lightning strikes the screen.
Kiana, with her white hair flowing behind her, holds Mei by the throat with her right hand. She lifts her up in the air, staring at her with golden eyes that show no emotion.
Mei looks at Kiana, her eyes wide with disbelief and pain. She doesn't recognize the girl who used to be her friend, her partner, her lover.
She reaches out with a trembling hand, trying to touch Kiana's face. She hopes to awaken Kiana's memories, to remind her of who she really is.
She calls out Kiana's name, her voice weak and desperate. She begs her to come back, to snap out of this madness.
As her hand is about to reach Kiana, something changes. Kiana's eyes turn back to their original blue color, as blue as the sky.
Tears stream down her cheeks, as if she realizes what she has done. She looks at Mei with sorrow and regret, as if she wants to say something.
[Mei… Did we do it? Did we save her?]
[Don't celebrate yet, the video is not over… anything can happen in the last moment!]
The video continued, showing Kiana releasing her hold on Mei. She looked at her with horror, as if she couldn't believe what she had done. She had hurt her best friend, the one she loved more than anything.
She clutched her head in her hands, screaming in agony. Golden cubes swirled around her, as if they were feeding on her pain.
She bent over, writhing and twisting, as if she wanted to escape from herself. Mei, who had fallen to the ground next to her, tried to crawl towards her, to comfort her, to help her.
But then, Kiana's mouth curved into a smile. A twisted and cruel smile, unlike anything Mei had ever seen on her face.
Mei knew her friend well, and she knew that this was not a genuine laugh. This was a laugh of madness, of evil, of despair. She stopped her hand, afraid of what Kiana might do.
The golden cubes gathered above Kiana's head, forming a circle. Then, they morphed into a black eye, a living eye that stared at Mei with malice.
The eye ripped open the space above them, creating a black and purple portal. A monstrous Honkai beast emerged from the portal, a beast with a lance-like arm.
The beast lunged at Mei, aiming to impale her with its weapon. The ground shattered under its impact, sending debris flying everywhere.
Mei dodged the attack, but the shockwave still hit her hard. She was thrown back, tumbling and rolling on the broken floor. She was in a terrible state, bleeding and bruised.
But she didn't give up, even though her body was wounded and bleeding. She pressed her hand on her shoulder, trying to stop the blood. She struggled to get up from the ground, but she was too slow.
The Honkai beast had already moved behind her, ready to strike again. It lifted its lance, aiming for her heart. Its eyes were cold and cruel, reflecting the sunlight.
Mei felt a surge of fear, but she had no strength to evade. She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact.
The screen went black, and the only sound was Mei's gasp.
The player felt a pang of anxiety in their chest.
[No, no, no! Don't tell me Mei is dead! How can they do this to her, before Kiana is saved? And Mei, why did you have to be so brave, why didn't you run away?]
[Kiana… She's too powerful, and she can summon Honkai beasts. How can we stop her?]
But the screen came back, showing Mei still alive. She had tensed her body, expecting the pain. But it never came.
She opened her eyes, and saw that someone had saved her. It was an invisible mech from Anti Entropy, the rebel faction that fought against Honkai.
The mech had blocked the Honkai beast's attack, using its shield. Then, a blast of fire from somewhere else finished off the beast.
"This is... Anti-Entropy?" Mei breathed a sigh of confusion, and looked around for her savior.
♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪
On the ground, a horde of Titans appeared, materializing out of thin air. They were giant Honkai beasts, with horns, claws, and fangs. They sensed the presence of Honkai energy, and they ran towards its source.
That source was Kiana, or rather, Sirin. She had taken over Kiana's body, and unleashed her full power as the Herrscher of the Void, she spread the her dress, her majestic dress
She looked like a queen, with her white hair, black dress, and golden eyes.
♪ ~ Raging wind, while your visage fades away ~ ♪
She waved her hands, and her dress extended four flaps with Honkai symbols. The symbols glowed, and opened portals in the air.
From the portals, more Honkai beasts emerged.
♪ ~ Where the world lies in pieces at my feet ~ ♪
They were different from the Titans, smaller but faster and more agile. They were Sirin's loyal servants, her army of terror.
♪ ~ The fire and the storm and the snow and the mist ~ ♪
The game showed the scene of Honkai and mecha war, the clash of chaos and order. The Anti Entropy forces had arrived, with their invisible mechs, their missiles, and their guns. They tried to stop Sirin, to save Kiana, to save the world.
♪ ~ Struggle inside, help me gain insight ~ ♪
But Sirin was not afraid. She walked on the air, as if it was solid ground. She made her own space, her own rules. She ignored the flames, the explosions, and the noise. She only heard her own footsteps, crisp and clear. They echoed in everyone's ears, like a death knell.
♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪
She reached the highest point, and looked down at her enemies. She smiled, a smile of contempt and disdain. She stretched her arms, as if inviting them to join her. She pointed her finger, as if choosing her targets.
Sirin's voice rang out, cold and arrogant, "Humans, your very existence is a mistake."
♪ ~ ♪ ~
The Honkai beasts behind her followed her command, and rushed towards the mechs.
They were loyal, they were devoted to serve the Queen; they were fearless, they were ready to die for the Queen.
♪ ~ ♪
On the front line, the mechs and the Honkai beasts clashed, creating a scene of carnage and chaos. But Sirin didn't spare a glance at the battlefield, she kept walking upwards.
At this moment, the mechs in the back had already launched their long-range attacks, firing missiles at the Honkai apostles in the sky like there was no tomorrow.
"War, deception, jealousy, greed, you have taken everything from me! But today, I will devour everything."
♪ ~
And there was not just one mech, there were hundreds of them, shooting in sync, unleashing a barrage of explosives.
Sirin watched the trails of the missiles streak across the sky, her hands flat on her sides, her posture relaxed.
The golden pupils of her eyes reflected the light of the missiles, as if they were fireworks. She didn't show any fear, she was calm and indifferent.
"Because I am Honkai!"
Suddenly, she smiled, a wicked and mocking smile. She snapped her fingers, and everything stopped.
♪ ...
It was as if time had frozen, as if sound had vanished. Even the game music paused for a moment, leaving only the echo of her snap.
...
Countless black holes appeared in front of her, swallowing the incoming missiles.
♪ ~ Hail my proud queen, on and on on and on ~ ♪
They were like hungry mouths, devouring the weapons of the humans.
Then they turned into a ball in Sirin's hands, a ball of death and destruction. She crushed it with her palms, as if it was nothing.
♪ ~ That wax and wane showed its ebb and flow ~ ♪
In an instant, the missiles reversed their course, flying back to the mechs that had fired them. The mechs were stunned, unable to process what was happening.
♪ ~ Selah, selah, are chanting evermore ~ ♪
Then the missiles exploded around them, creating a huge fireball.
♪ ~ Hear, oh hear all the voices trapped in thee ~ ♪
Over the scorched earth, the flames, the ash, the wreckage, everything that war brings, Sirin hovered in the air and watched, silently.
♪ ~ F̸a̷i̷r̷ ̵m̶o̷o̴n̵l̵i̴g̷h̷t̷,̴ ̷w̴i̴l̴l̴ ̶y̵o̶u̵ ̵f̴i̶l̵l̸ ̵m̸y̸ ̶v̴o̷i̸d̴ ̸e̶y̶e̵s̶?̸ ~ ♪
And then her pets, a blue and white dragon, flew in from the distance and came to her side.
♪ ~ Hail my proud queen, on and on ~ ♪
the mighty dragon lands on the victorious battlefield, joining the other Honkai beasts in their celebration of victory.
♪ ~ Hail my proud queen, on and on ~~~ ♪
They were no longer fierce, majestic, or wild. They were obedient, loyal, and tame at Sirin's feet.
♪ ~ Selah, selah, are chanting evermore ~ ♪
This is their queen's welcoming party, their queen's victory over humanity
♪ ~ Hear, oh, hear all the voices trapped in thee ~ ♪
♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪ ...
At this point, the grand and majestic music also came to an end, and Mei was the only one standing on the ruins.
Suddenly, the screen zoomed in on Sirin's face, and her golden eyes moved. They were no longer looking ahead, but to the side, as if looking straight at the person watching the video.
The last slanting glance gave an endless shock for everyone including YOU.
