Written by MaTcHu0210.
Requested by AlexanderTheKrew.
...
"Hey, (Y/N)?" A red-haired girl asks, turning her head toward you.
"Yes, Himeko?" You respond.
"What would you want as your weapon if you become a Valkyrie?" Himeko asks.
You turn to her. "When, Himeko. Not if. We promised each other that we would become Valkyries, remember?"
Himeko chuckles "Right. When we become Valkyries then. What would you want for a weapon?"
You put your hand on your chin, thinking to yourself. You never really gave that much thought.
Ever since you had started attending St. Freya to become a Valkyrie with Himeko, you never gave weapons much thought. You were flexible with your choice of slaying Honkai. Guns, katanas, great swords, canons, scythes, you could use them all with great accuracy. So to choose one to be your defining weapon was not something that crossed your mind at all.
You sigh. "I do not know... What about you?"
Himeko smiles "A great sword, I'd love nothing more than to swing it at the Honkai. It's strong, and it'll slay any who come across its blade!"
You smile at Himeko's confidence. Even as a kid, she's always so confident in herself. It's almost inspiring.
"Well... what of Valkyrie Wings?" You asked the redhead.
The redhead continues, "Wings? Won't those just get in the way? Wouldn't it be better to have a jetpack or something?"
You pout, but agree "Well, you have a point...however..."
Himeko looks to you with anticipation, while you continue with a small smile on your face. "It may be troublesome to have, but I would become a symbol of hope. When people look to me, they will smile when they see my wings. They would see an angel. They would feel safe when around me! Or at least that is what I wish..."
Himeko looks at you, wearing a small grin on your face. It was rare for you to smile like that. But despite your lack of expression, you were always the one who had dreams. You had a dream of hope and a better tomorrow. You were hopelessly naive...but Himeko smiles. She likes that about you. "I wish you'd keep that hopefulness even when you're older." Himeko thought.
"Of course, you're already headed there (Y/N)," Himeko says, resting her head on her palm.
You raise a brow. "What do you mean?"
Himeko grins "Because every time I look at you, I see an angel and smile~"
Your eyes widen and your face goes red. You playfully punch Himeko's shoulder as you scream.
"HIMEKO! You know I am weak to you..."
Himeko chuckles and kisses your forehead. You blush harder, leaning your head on Himeko's shoulder. She caresses your hair, gently running her hand up and down the back of your head.
"I love you (Y/N). Don't ever change. Ever. Not for anyone."
You close your eyes, feeling the warmth of Himeko's body. You smile.
"You too... Himeko..."
I promise I will never change...
Just as long as you do the same...
~•~
A hooded soldier sneaks into a dark room, its only light source being the fool moon. The soldier kneels down, his body directed to a throne facing a window. The light of the moon shining onto the chair.
"Mistress, we have news to report..." he says with a strained voice.
"Speak." The woman on the chair states.
The soldier shivers at the woman's voice. "The news I bring is not pleasant, Mistress. It is in regards to the most recent Honkai attack that had awakened a Herrscher..."
A crunch can be heard as a chunk of the thrown falls to the ground, breaking the silence. The woman's fist can be seen with pieces of rock breaking to ash.
"I care little for the nature of the report, soldier. ELABORATE..." the Mistress furiously asked.
The soldier quivered "The Herrscher of the Void has not been eliminated, and we have confirmation that she is indeed still alive..."
She grunts.
"Where. Is. She."
The soldier shivers again, but this time, he continues to shiver under the gaze of the woman as she stands tall. Her figure looming over the poor soldier as glowing violet eyes were staring deep into his soul. As if any second, she would snap his neck like a twig if he so much as looked at her wrong.
It sucked the air out of the room.
The soldier stutters. "Her name is Kiana Kaslana, she was one of the students at St. Freya. A-And our sources claim that she's currently...
... in Arc City as we speak..."
She grunts again. Anger evident in her voice
"Find her, bring her to me. I will kill her myself."
The soldier looks up in concern, and questions her. "Shall we inform the Sire?"
The woman walks down the stairs to her throne and walks to the side of the Soldier. She gently places a hand on the soldier's shoulder, causing him to look down and shiver once more.
"Kevin need not know of this Herrscher. She will be the least of his concerns by the time I am through with her."
~•~
"Run, just keep running. Don't look back. I can't die now, not while I still have a promise to keep to Ms. Himeko!"
Those were the thoughts of Kiana, the run-away Valkyrie. The Herrscher of the Void. As she ran through the neon-lit streets of Arc City. Every step she took echoing on the water as rain dropped onto her body.
Every crack of thunder deafening her ears as she continued to run.
"Don't stop, don't stop, don't sto—"
A sharp pain interrupted her thoughts. She grabs her left arm, holding it tight as she continues running. The pain seemed to sharpen as she put more pressure.
Kiana winces, looking at her arm. She looks back to see that there were still figures chasing after her. They seemed like shadows, moving across the roofs of buildings. They did not stop chasing after her.
Kiana continued to run, trying her best to lose them on the streets. Quickly turning every corner she found. Desperately trying to lose her assailants.
But it was no use.
Seeing a dead end in the distance, Kiana used a small amount of the Herrscher's power. She opens a portal and teleports to the top of a nearby building. She lands, now having a small window to check on her arm.
It felt like a deep cut, blood was already gushing out through her jacket. She winces at the pain, tightly applying pressure using her other hand.
"Ow..." she says with a strained voice.
She looks back to see the shadowy figures quickly catching up to her. Kiana curses as she gets up and begins to run again. Jumping and parkouring from rooftop to rooftop, she continues to try and evade her pursuers.
But eventually, Kiana had run into a corner. There were no other buildings to jump to for a fast escape, only a long fall to the deep waters of Arc City.
She was trapped.
The shadowy figures leaped down, revealing themselves to be hooded assassins holding swords and guns.
"We have the Herrscher in our sights. Moving to suppress." One of them said,
They all aimed their guns at Kiana. There were about ten of them. Or was it twenty? Kiana's eyes were too tired and blurred to count them properly.
The assassins shot their guns, wrapping Kiana in cold cables. She was trapped, and she had no way out. The cables' grip around her body tightened, then sent an electric shock to her—already severely weakened—body.
"P-Please, stop..." Kiana pleated, feeling the pain of the aftershock.
"We have her boys, the Mistress will be pleased." The other assassin says.
Kiana squints her eyes and grits her teeth. She could almost hear the grinding of her teeth even with the loud sounds of the assassin's guns. She could already feel the pull of her consciousness again. She feels HER.
"I SAID STOP!" Kiana screams, unleashing Honkai energy from her body. It hits the assassins, killing them instantly. Their bodies are thrown back, crashing them against the wall which leaves cracks in the place where they were slammed.
Kiana looks in horror at what she has done. She falls to her knees, already feeling HER presence. She moves her hand up, trying her best to stay in control.
"No, no. Get out of my head!" Kiana screamed.
She summons a dark portal in front of her. Weak and in pain, she walks through the portal and into the rooftop of yet another building. She lays down, feeling her consciousness slipping away.
Kiana sighs weakly. "The blood loss must have caught up with me..."
She looks up at the night sky, she feels... drops of water on her face. "It must be raining," she thought.
As she starts to close her eyes, she sees another shadow land in front of her. She felt a splash of water hit her face. The shadow comes closer and closer.
What in the world is that...?
It looks like it has... wings...?
~•~
You sit up right on the hospital bed of your room.
Lately, you felt some nausea, vomiting, and passing out on multiple occasions during the day and night. This happened during class and even on-field training, affecting your performance on the battlefield and against the Honkai. It was starting to become troublesome so you decided to have yourself checked by the doctor. It was the right choice, because...
You were dying...
Violet vein-like patterns started showing themselves on your neck and eventually throughout your upper torso and back. It was spreading fast, and the doctors said that they had no time to cure it. They described it as some form of Honkai Infection. They have a procedure that they can do, but it's only viable during the stages where the infection hasn't spread too much. You were already at the later stages of this disease. The doctors have said that you have about 2 years to live at most.
And a month at least...
You lay there on the bed, already feeling the slightest of stings from the Honkai eating away at your body. At this rate, you'll never become a Valkyrie. You'll never be able to fulfill your promise to Himeko.
You hear a knock on the door. It opens, revealing Himeko.
"H-Hey..." Himeko stutters.
You sigh, "Hi..."
Himeko averts her eyes from you. She stares at all the machines hooked up to your arm. The heart monitor was beeping, the IV was attached to your arm. All of these machines to help you live even just a little bit longer. And nothing would change the inevitable.
Himeko stutters. "How, how long do you have...?"
"...They say I would be lucky if I make it through this year..."
Himeko looks at you. This is probably the saddest Himeko has ever seen you. You were holding your own hands tightly. You had bags under your eyes, and your skin was pale from a little hunger.
Himeko sits beside you and grabs your free hand. You look toward Himeko's eyes, enjoying the warmth of her palm on your cold hand.
"We're gonna get through this... We promised to become Valkyries together r-right?"
Himeko falters at the last part. The tears were already forming on her orange eyes. She knew it would be a miracle if you were to live even a year. She knew you didn't have much time.
But you won't give up so easily.
You bring your hand to Himeko's chin and make her look up at you. Your eyes were filled with determination. "Himeko, I'll try my best to live long enough to see you graduate..."
"I may not be able to become a Valkyrie with you...but I promise that I'll be by your side. No matter what happens."
Himeko looks at you with awe. You were always the logical one of the two. Always making realistic decisions and always reaching for reality. But today, even with all the odds against you. You were staring at her with a small smile. You were hopeful, and you didn't let logic and numbers tell you otherwise.
Himeko closes her eyes and smiles "You better keep that promise..."
~•~
Himeko stayed by your side the whole day, perhaps she missed classes too just to stay with you. But she had to leave, and you couldn't go with her. She waves you goodbye and departs. As soon as she leaves the room, you take your phone from the table beside your bed and look through your messages. Most were notes from your classmates, telling you to get well soon. You smiled at the messages they sent.
But one was... not familiar to you.
It was an unknown number. You tap the message and read what it says.
"You may call me Grey Serpent..."
"If you wish for a second chance, just text this number and I will come to you with an offer..."
~•~
Kiana slowly opened her eyes.
Her ears were ringing a little, and her vision was slightly blurred. But she could feel her arm, it was attached to cold metal. She could make out the sound of the chain dragging against the walls and floor. She tries using her Herrscher powers to open up a portal so she could escape, but they never came. The chains negated her powers somehow...
The room itself seemed white, devoid of any other color—other than a pitch-black window in front of her. She wasn't affected by it too much, but she knew that this wasn't like anything she saw from Schiksal or Anti Entropy. This was somewhere she never knew.
Kiana groans in pain. "Where am I..."
"In my domain... Herrscher..."
Kiana's eyes opened wider, hearing the deep voice of a woman standing in the corner of the dark room. Her vision was still slightly blurred, but she could make out the visage of the woman staring into her.
She had black armor around her body, almost covering every inch of her skin. She also had a violet coat with gold outlines, almost seeming to glow by themselves. She also seemed to have a helmet that had a human-like face sculpted onto it. The helmet also had small wings as well.
The woman walked up to Kiana and forced her to look up. Her hands were cold with metal, but Kiana could feel the boiling anger radiating off the woman just by how she had grabbed her chin.
"I rule this place, Kiana, you are merely an insect in my world. I am in control here."
Kiana tries to escape her hold, but she tightens her grip on Kiana's chin.
The woman almost sounded like she was chuckling under the helmet. "Every agony... every violation imaginable... I will make you suffer Kiana. I will make you beg for the cold embrace of death, and I will revel in killing you."
The woman then scratches Kiana's face with her metal claws. Blood was dripping from Kiana's cheek from the slash. It wasn't too deep, but it was enough for Kiana to wince in pain. She looked up at the figure, her vision beginning to clear.
Kiana knew this wasn't just some soldier who killed Herrschers. If she were, then she would have killed Kiana by now. She knew this was different. It was personal.
"What do you want from me... Do you just enjoy torturing Herrschers...?" Kiana asks, almost seeming to stand but failing due to how weak she feels.
The woman laughs. "No, I do not. But for you, I will make an exception."
The woman presses a button and her helmet begins to fold itself into her back. Her face was covered in shadow, but her bright violet eyes were staring down at Kiana. Her gaze alone made the Void Drifter shiver in her boots.
She lowered her head closer to Kiana's face, allowing it to be illuminated by a dim light. Her face had scars, but her eyes alone would make the fires of Hell seem warm at best.
"My name is (Y/N) (L/N), you will remember it. For it will be the last name you will remember before you die..."
Kiana growls. "I don't care who you are! What have I ever done to you?!"
Your eyes widen in shock and anger. You grab her throat and bring her closer to your face.
"HIMEKO MURATA! Do you recognize that name?!"
Kiana looks in surprise.
"So you do? Well then, I will assume you understand Herrscher." You loosen your grip on her throat.
"You killed her. You took away the one person I have lived for. The only reason I had held onto hope for so long was because I hoped that I would be able to see her again. To be with her again... and now she's gone!"
"YOU ROBBED ME OF EVERYTHING I HAD DREAMED FOR!"
~•~
"What do you mean you're leaving?! What about your medications? Your treatment? Aren't you supposed to be taking chemotherapy in a few days?!" Himeko asks, clearly furious. Tears were running down her orange eyes.
You wince at her scream.
You hated it when she was angry.
But...
You hated it even more when she was sad...
"I am sorry... I am so sorry." You cry, trying to appeal to Himeko's softer side.
Himeko steps back, almost losing her balance. She wipes away the tears on her eyes then stares right at you. You stare at her back, never daring to break eye contact.
Himeko grunts. "What's going on Y/N? Are you just giving up? Is that what this is?!"
You muster up a response, but the words got choked up. "It is... complicated..."
At that moment, looking at her face, your thoughts were running all over the place.
For one, you remember the offer that Grey Serpent had given you...
"You have been diagnosed with a form of stage 3 Honkai Infection. Our organization is familiar with this strand, and we have treated it many times in the past. We could give you treatment, cure you of this disease. Even better, we could make you stronger than you could possibly imagine. We've observed your performance on the battlefield, and your skills and proficiency are quite remarkable."
"So here is my offer... if you are to accept it, you will be given the surgery and medications necessary for you to be cured of this Honkai Infection. All you will have to do is pledge your loyalty to the Sire and join the World Serpent..."
That was what he offered.
And you were foolish enough to accept it without giving it any second thought...
"I should have told her about them. I could have told the school, told them that I was offered to join them. Perhaps if I had denied World Serpent? But then...they would have no reason to offer me the procedure to cure me. Damn it, why was I so rash! I was reckless. impulsive... STUPID!" All these thoughts were running through your thick skull.
You wipe away the tears on your face, but they just keep on flowing like a waterfall. Never showing any signs of stopping. Even with your frail body, you tried your very best to stand upright.
"I look pathetic..." you thought.
You look down in shame, Himeko just continued to stand there. You try to muster up an apology. Even a statement, anything to get Himeko to stop hating you.
"I should have trusted you..."
You close your eyes, tightly gripping the end of your skirt. For the first time in your entire life, you were...scared.
It wasn't death you were afraid of.
It wasn't a failure to protect a city.
It wasn't even the Honkai that broke you.
It was the glare of one, very important girl.
You could do nothing but cry. Each sob is harder to swallow than the last. You wish you could just take everything back and make it the way it used to be. When you were at St. Freya, training and learning to become a Valkyrie. Instead of joining a terrorist organization that was hell-bent on a project that would kill millions.
You continue to sob, but you feel some warmth on your body. You felt Himeko wrap her arms around your body and lean her head on your shoulder. You reciprocated the hug, crying onto Himeko's shoulder. You could almost feel tears on your own shoulder as Himeko cried herself.
She began to speak. You focused on Himeko's voice. Nothing else mattered but her.
"I'm sorry you couldn't trust me enough... but promise me. Wherever you're gonna go. Please, don't give up. You still have your whole life ahead of you. And... you promised to be there when I become a Valkyrie. I don't... I don't want to lose you..."
Himeko sobs on your shoulder. You close your eyes and cover your face with Himeko's shoulder.
"I will always come back for you. I am not going to give up. Even though I may be gone, We will be together again... I promise."
Oh, how you wished you could keep that promise.
~•~
"Mistress, the Herrscher of the Void escaped!" one of your subordinates informs you.
You growl.
"Order the men to stand down. I will deal with the Herrscher myself!" You press a button to unfold your helmet.
Your wings spread out wide, and they lift you off the ground. You soar through the rainy sky at the speed of a jet.
Nothing will stop you from bringing the Herrscher to justice...
No...
Nothing will deny you your vengeance...
Kiana had escaped with mere luck alone. One of the guards came to give Kiana some food, so she took the opportunity to knock him out and use the key on her bindings. As soon as she was free, she teleported away and back into Arc City. But somehow they knew she was free, so she decided to run and hide as long as possible.
Unfortunately for her, you injected a tracker into her bloodstream. You knew where she was, and there was no escape for her.
You see Kiana in a nearby building, running and jumping to try and get away from you. But you fly in closer and closer, your wings moving you in such a speed that Kiana did not recognize how close you were.
"KIANA!!!" You scream in pure, blind rage.
You grab Kiana by the jacket and slam her against the floor, dragging and banging her again and again trying to hurt her as much as possible.
You then throw her off the roof and into an abandoned warehouse. It was empty, and no one was there. No witness to report a dead body. Perfect for what you wanted.
You fly into the building – breaking the windows as you do – and kick Kiana once more in the stomach. She rolls on the ground, coughing and holding her stomach in pain.
You take some of the metal from your wings, changing it and materializing a sword from it as you walk towards the Herrscher of the Void. Your wings were smaller, but they were still enough to allow for flight. Your sword was pulsing with violet energy. Your armor excretes smoke from the small exhaust pipes, signaling that it was fully charged. You are ready to kill, nothing will stop you. Nothing can.
"You die today Herrscher! And this time, you shall not escape!"
You lunge at her, ready to slice her head clean off. Kiana quickly summons a lance, parrying your strike and pushing you back with the force of a Herrscher.
You are pushed back but bounce off of the walls to lunge at her again. This time, you aim for her legs. You sweep her legs and kick her up, knocking her into the air and pushing her against the ceiling. You pin Kiana to the ceiling, making your wings propel more upwards to crush her harder.
You grit your teeth under the helmet. "HAVE YOU NOTHING TO SAY HERRSCHER?!"
Kiana feels the air from her lungs escaping as the force on her increases. Her lance was cracking a bit, and she could feel the pull of control over her consciousness again. She can't not lose this fight, she can't die. Not yet... not while she has a promise to keep.
Kiana winces. "I k-know you care about Ms. Himeko very much... and I don't want to fight you because...you're right. It's my fault she's gone. B-But... I won't let you kill me, because I have a promise to keep to her."
"To shape this wretched world... into what we've always wanted!"
Kiana starts emitting Honkai energy from her body, shattering your helmet and revealing your face.
Your eyes widen. You're boiling with rage as tears start to form in your eyes. "I have made many promises to Himeko. But I have kept none of them...!"
You scream as your wings start to give out. Kiana saw this and took it as an opportunity to escape your hold. She squeezes through your hold and uses her lance to jump away from you, landing on the ground.
You saw this and followed her down, pinning her to the floor with your wings. You kneel on the ground, on top of Kiana's body. You have your sword ready to jam it down her throat. She was trapped, under your armored figure.
Kiana prepares herself to summon another lance with her Void powers, but then she sees your face. The tears you are shedding, you were so...broken. Kiana loosens her hands, not wanting to fight you any further.
You raise your blade, ready to shove it down her chest at any moment.
You have her at your mercy...
You can avenge Himeko...
But... why were you hesitating...?
The tears were falling from your eyes and onto Kiana's face. She felt the tears drip as you started to shiver. You grit your teeth, trying your best to prevent another scream of pain and anguish.
Kiana simply stared into your eyes and placed her hand on your face as you cried. Tears were starting to form in Kiana's eyes too as she remembered her teacher. Her mentor.
"I know you're in pain Ms. Y/N... I miss her too..."
You close your eyes, sobbing as you slowly let your sword down.
"Himeko... I am so... sorry..." You falter at the last part.
You drop your sword, letting it shatter on the ground. You move away from Kiana and lay on the ground, crying beside the only other person who could even begin to understand what you were feeling.
"I am so... so... sorry...I could not keep any of my promises..."
You cry and Kiana watches. She soon cries with you.
Nothing good came from this battle. These two souls were still in mourning for the same person. They didn't gain anything from this battle. No one got their vengeance. There was no winner...
Just broken promises and a shattered blade...