A year ago
A determined seeker of truth.
That was how many viewed Jackal. Probably how she considered herself, too. A woman whose purpose was to defeat the Honkai; serve her Sire, the mighty Serpent, in his grand goal. As such, she stayed true to herself, maintaining that mask on her face. Now, while that would make reading her expression difficult to say the least, today wasn't one of these days.
Today, you could easily guess what sort of feeling Jackal's expression was inspired from : panic. Why ? They just received a report from the moon base that the Corpse of Finality had brutally deteriorated. But that wasn't the only reason behind World Serpent's general panic. Residual Honkai Energy readings belonging to the Herrscher of Finality had been detected at the Final Crater.
SHE had activated.
Ironically, they could discard the worst-case scenario almost immediately. Reports from the moon base were coming each month, and the observation of the Final Crater was done only once per year. Nothing happened there anyway, so no one saw the value in keeping watch more frequently. Something the World Serpent was curiously very regretful about now.
So, the world wasn't going to end immediately : If the readings could be trusted, the reactivation of the Corpse of Finality was done approximatively 11 months and 2 weeks ago. Plenty of time for it to descend upon Earth.
But another odd thing to point out was the fact that nothing out of the ordinary was detected up until now. Jackal knew that an existence like the Final Herrscher would leave enormous traces of its path wherever it went. SHE was basically a giant Herrscher core that held humongous amounts of power. Stealth had to be the one thing SHE completely sucked at. But there were no traces left, apart from some footprints left along the edge of the Crater. Human-sized ones.
'Did someone cause this ? How did they get there without the moon base not noticing anything ? And what exactly happened to the parts of the Corpse of Finality that vanished ?'
Jackal was used to have questions fill her head but this was different from her usual research. They desperately needed answers.
The World Serpent then decided to take a more active approach. Now more than ever, they needed their Sire back. They began an operation with the goal of bringing him back from the Sea of Quanta and receive orders from him about this crisis that came from nowhere.
Present time
Kevin Kaslana looked at the Corpse of Finality. It certainly had seen better days. Recently out of the Sea of Quanta, he ordered World Serpent to screen the whole world as stealthily as possible, even if they ended up in territories belonging to other factions. But one surprise for the World Serpent was to know that their Sire wasn't completely unaware of the situation.
While he was imprisoned, Kevin had briefly felt Fiana passing through the Sea of Quanta to get to Earth. It had been but a fleeting, small impression that he chalked up to the Sea reproducing one of his old memories, as it had already done so many times. But it looked like this was more serious than expected.
Humanity will defeat the Honkai. And to do so, light had to be shed on this mystery.
Funnily enough, the cause of all this trouble was currently enjoying herself visiting Yosemite National Park with a bike without a single care in the world, unaware of the turmoil she was causing.
...
Waterfalls were impressive. No wonder humans liked coming here.
During one of her trips, Fiana was vividly recommended this park by a young man that seemed to want to go with her. Kiana refused politely, stating she didn't need him to show her the way.
She was sure she carefully refused his help, so why had he been looking so disheartened as he walked away ?
Social interactions were so complicated. No matter how much knowledge she piled up, Fiana wasn't sure she could understand them properly one day. She was grateful though. The sceneries this park offered were unique and beautiful for her. It was one of the prettiest places she went at.
But her goal today wasn't to only have fun. 'It isn't here. Let's search for a bit more.' Fiana thought as she pedaled further into the park.
Fiana had investigated the Anti-Honkai organizations of this world after settling down. That hadn't been easy : information was sparse, or outright non-existent. They also tracked people that knew too much, so she had to be careful not to get caught, which almost happened when she began her search. Recently, she had discovered the identity of the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy : the 1st Herrscher.
A Herrscher was leading an Anti-Honkai organization. That was certainly...surprising and slightly ironic. Fiana had received one of her biggest shocks by learning this. She immediately decided she wanted to meet him. Which led to her current situation.
She had investigated recent Honkai outbreaks in California their dates and locations. From there, after hours of research, she managed to narrow down an area in which an Anti-Entropy base had to exist. It wasn't in the Yosemite National Park however...
...Fiana of course didn't believe that their base was really here. It was more or less an excuse to visit that place and have fun. But her target was close enough to the park.
After the fun visit was over -she was really glad she brought a camera with her, by the way- Fiana headed north. It was the middle of the night, no one was around. As soon as she confirmed that, wings sprang to life on her back as she soared in the air. Her Honkai Energy swelled, ready to be used.
Mirage of Void.
Fiana extended her senses downward, into the earth. She smiled as she hit the jackpot.
The Void could see beneath the earth and reveal an underground structure full of people, still active even at this time. Great, now she just had to-
Fiana froze. A Herrscher signature ?
She could clearly feel that a Herrscher was inside the base below. Well, the search had been shorter than expected.
Mirage of Corruption.
The base's systems offered no resistance to the authority of Corruption, even in this reduced form. She mapped out the sensors recorded in the database that would be likely to detect her and teleported inside the base, unnoticed by everyone. From there, she simply passed through walls and different floors not unlike a phantom, avoiding people and cameras, until she made it to the Herrscher's location. She observed him, seeing through the wall she hid behind.
He was currently talking with two scientists, a noisy one with red hair and a calm one with blue hair. She was certain now. Elysia's wish had been achieved : his eyes glowed with willpower, with a life of his own. She could feel the core of Reason pulsing inside-
Wait, Reason ?
"What ?" Her smile froze as she realized she spoke. The discussion in the other room stopped. Her heart skipped a beat.
Without hesitation, Fiana instantly teleported as far away as possible, in a small forest. She had been careless. Was this carelessness a proof of her immaturity ? Regardless, they knew about her intrusion now. She wouldn't be able to get in so easily next time but she already got what she came for. She moved to Imaginary Space just in case they managed to track her down and flew as she kept thinking.
'Since they already have a Herrscher as leader, maybe it would be a good idea to join them ? At the very least, they are already familiar with my kind.' Fiana wouldn't make her decision immediately, but as far as she was concerned, Anti-Entropy had made a good first impression on her.
After all, Fiana was born as a Herrscher. She considered other Herrschers to be something akin to relatives, and wished to get closer to them. She also feared that they would choose a path of destruction as Herrschers that fought for the Honkai. It was a cruel choice, to the world and themselves. So much could be built if they choose humanity instead of the meaningless destruction wrought by the Honkai.
One of the reasons she got found was her eagerness : Anti-Entropy appeared to her as the closest thing to her own wish : Humanity coexisting with Herrschers. Fiana wanted herself and the Herrschers to be accepted by the world and to accept the world. She was sure it would be the key to a future where both would be free.
'Herrscher of Reason, huh ?'Fiana scowled as she remembered the reason for her previous bewilderment.
The 1st Herrscher shouldn't be the Herrscher of Reason. For each cycle that failed, the Cocoon diversified its approach along with the Herrschers that would descend upon Earth, so it didn't make sense. Why was it doing this ? Fiana didn't have the answer. Another peculiar sign of her unique circumstances.
Turns out the Cocoon of Finality didn't just let her go to Earth without taking something back. Indeed, Fiana's knowledge about the Cocoon had holes in it. Even though she was certain she should perfectly know everything about it, when she questioned its behavior, she sometimes drew a blank, like right now.
She was aware that the 1st Herrscher of this Era shouldn't have the authority of Reason again, but he had. Fiana had always thought that the reason why she possessed the authorities from the previous cycle was because she had been born as the Final Herrscher of that Era, but maybe something else was the reason.
*Sigh*
The girl put a hand to her chin, standing above the surreal territory that was Imaginary Space.
"I need more information but it's not like I can just go ask the Cocoon directly. I need help." Time to go search these answers elsewhere.
The other Anti-Honkai organization on Earth. If her memory was correct, its name was Shicksal, right ?
...
...
Avalanche. That was a good word to describe what just happened to Ki Tengo.
Some minutes earlier
Ki walked inside the town, trying to get as far as possible from his home. That place had recently become...stifling for him. The sudden revelations and the endless questions he wanted to ask had him acting strangely distant sometimes. His parents picked up on that and worried about it, but he just told them it was the accident having a bad effect on him, which wasn't exactly a lie. He wasn't sure if he would be able to tell something else than this half-lie, half-truth to them in the eye without exploding. That and the lack of experience when hiding something from his only family left him struggling on how to interact with the two of them. He had increased his little outings for this reason. He also resented them. They weren't the tightknit family he believed them to be.
Ki realized that he actually knew little about his parents' past. That didn't help with his distrust for them. Details of what he heard about it from them now looked fishy. He knew that they had lived in Europe for a time before moving to their previous town, but not much more.
The boy knew that he was probably under some sort of surveillance. At least, he couldn't just search for information on the net, or ask around : he would find nothing, or would be treated as a madman and found out. He absolutely ha to keep his memory intact. However, that didn't reduce his problems : without their memories, everyone else treated the incident normally.
While he didn't regret his choice, Ki hadn't predicted how this situation would affect his behavior. He talked less than before, and was generally less cheerful. He wasn't particularly loud or outgoing before, but at least he wasn't retreating into his shell like now. His classmates and parents pointed that out easily : Ki's lack of composure was coming back to bite him in the ass. The looks they gave him, their worry and words of care made it clear how different he was acting. It felt so creepy to see people that should know the truth acting oblivious to it. Every time his parents pretended to ask him what was wrong, his mouth burned with an acid anger.
Regardless, what Ki wanted hadn't changed. He wanted and needed answers. But where to find them ?
It was in the middle of this less-than gloomy line of thinking that he heard the shout.
"Ah, move out of the way !!"
Alerted, Ki shot his head up only to see a mountain of carton boxes fall on him. "Ack, gah !" He vainly tried to hold them back, but their collective weight was too much for his unprepared arms. The avalanche completely covered him.
'What a good way to pass the time. That's what I gain for not paying attention to my surroundings.'
"Ah, sorry, sorry ! You okay ?" The same voice came back. It was full of youth, anergy and was loud.
Ki smacked the boxes away and got up, ready to see who was going to get destroyed. He lost his voice upon seeing the girl though.
Silver hair, blue eyes and a face that didn't lose to many models out there : she was beautiful. That and her smile already began to diminish the unprepared teenager's anger.
Not completely, though. "That avalanche aside, you mean ? What are you even doing anyway ?"
Not disturbed one bit, the girl answered, "I'm moving in !"
Oh. That explained the boxes. And the truck full of them. He had unknowingly ended up in front of the apartment building that was going to be her new home. Ki was beginning to feel guilty. He got in her way because of his own problems. Sure, maybe she could have been more careful, but still.
His guilty conscience made his mood drop even further. So much for the outing. Locking eyes with the girl again, he apologized, explaining he had a bad day and that he was sorry for bothering her. She didn't seem to mind, thankfully. However, her face took a surprised shade when he proposed his help as an apology. Her smile came back in a flash as she accepted.
In truth, Ki just wanted to get away from his troubles, even temporarily. He hoped this task would distract him and improve his mood a little. And well, his problems were indeed promptly forgotten.
"Wait, you live alone and you have this much stuff ? Why ? If you don't mind me asking."
"Ah, it's because I travel a lot ! So, stuff just pile up naturally and each time I'm moving it's bigger."
"How did you carry this many boxes in one go !? You're so slim !"
"Hehe, us Kaslana warriors are strong beyond expectations !"
And on and on. 'The word 'unexpected' might have been invented to describe her' was the tired boy's honest thought as they both sat on a box in her apartment, the long work finally over.
"Thanks for the help, Ki-senpai !" Kiana handed him a water bottle. Feeling the fresh liquid go down his throat, Ki relaxed. He had been tensed during the first few minutes after they introduced to each other, her personality being one that he had difficulty dealing with. But that awkwardness was quickly gone - not because he got used to her that fast, but more because she didn't leave him a moment to be nervous. Ki was glad he decided to help. She was a nice girl to have around, with her lively attitude and signature smile. A bit boastful, but it added to her cuteness.
"Don't worry, I needed to get my mind off things too. And moving my arms a bit won't hurt me." Maybe he should get some physical activity back in his schedule. Even though he did help, he felt he could have been a little more useful.
"Got it. But you know, I'm surprised." An imaginary question mark popped up above the helper's face as he turned to her. "Usually, most guys that come help ask me out right away~"
"Umm, I didn't help to get something in return, really."
"Heeeh, so I guess I'm not pretty enough for Mister Nagazora's tastes, right ?" she retorted in faux hurt.
"Wait, I didn't say that ! And I've moved here recently too, so I'm no Mister Nagazora." Completely flustered now, Ki denied her teasing as fast as he could. Unfortunately, he was just walking into the next trap.
"So, I'm not pretty ?"
The suffering groan echoed in the apartment.
...
"Sorry, sorry. You're just funny to tease."
"At least sound like you mean it. You're still holding your stomach." grumbled the boy. The Ki-teasing session was over, it seemed. Noticing that he should excuse himself now, Ki got up and opened his mouth to bid her farewell. But a sound of something metallic falling to the ground stopped him.
"Hmm? What was that ?"
"A phone ? Sorry, I should have been more careful. Here."
"No problem, it's not something that would break over...a..." she stopped talking as she stared at the screen.
"What's wrong ? Is it broken aft- ?"
"Ki-senpai !"
He gave a start at her alarmed shout. Yes, alarmed. Her face reflected her urgency as she took his hand and put it on the phone's screen. "Don't move." Her tone, more serious than ever, only evoked confusion for him. She wasn't mad at him, on the contrary she seemed worried.
She then let go of his hand, focusing on the screen. After a while, results appeared and she let out a huge sigh of relief. "I worried for nothing ! Thank God !"
"Kiana ?"
"You scared me, Ki-senpai. I thought you got Honkai Energy corruption, but looks like our body adapts well to it. Well, the device didn't detect much so you should be fine."
His breath got stuck in his throat. Only half of the words she said made it to his brain. The second she said 'Honkai', his mind went back to the accident. To the Honkai beast he killed.
"Y-you mean...Honkai, Honkai bests and stuff ?" His throat was suddenly a desert. His panicked brain jumbled the words, unable to form a coherent question.
"Ah, turns out you know already. Yeah, I'm talking about-!" Her reply was cut short as he put his hands on her shoulders. She stopped her reflexes from giving him a bloody nose when she saw his face. She gasped, the desperation, obsession and thirst for knowledge cutting her stream of thoughts.
In hindsight, this impulsive decision was a very bad idea. This girl could be linked to the authorities responsible for erasing the memories of his class, or something even more sinister. While he was carrying the boxes, Ki saw that some of them had weapons and ammunition in it. It was basically a bet, a dangerous and hasty one. But he was young, both in body and mind. His rashness cost him such a rational line of thinking that came with age and experience. He latched onto the desperate hope and begged the girl in front of her for the answers he sought.
"Please, tell me ! About Honkai, Herrschers, everything !"
Author's note:
And Kiana comes in ! Along with some truth for our boy. But as you will see later, quite a bit of what she is going to 'reveal' won't be news to him. There's no way it would be after all...
:)
Maybe World Serpent could have noticed about Fiana's rebirth earlier, but they were lazy, sooooo... ;)
And we have Fiana discovering more (or less ?) about herself. If you thought you knew everything about her special situation, y'all are in for some good surprises. That's all for now. If you've liked the chapter, drop a fav/comment, see you later and thanks for reading !
PS : I'm not sure, but overall, readers seem to like my second fanfic more than my first. It would help me if you could tell me why.