The protagonists of Honkai Impact 3rd and Honkai Gakuen 2—both named Kiana—look nearly identical, with only a few subtle differences.
There's just a slight variation in hairstyle, yet C.C. recognized the girl's identity in an instant.
Though the girl in the photo had the exact same delicate face as the familiar "Tuna" and wore twin braids as well, there was one distinct detail—her braids were styled in elegant spiral curls.
But more importantly—her aura.
Anyone seeing the white-haired girl in the photo for the first time would immediately think: What a dashing, noble young lady.
There was a crisp, commanding presence to her, like a mafia heiress with refined nobility seeping from every movement—something utterly impossible for that tuna to project.
"…This is bad. That last fight was like a gold-rank match, but this one? This is a full-on King-rank boss battle…"
C.C., unusually rattled, muttered to herself.
Her pale, delicate hand slapped gently against her cheek, her expression torn between dread and disbelief.
She desperately hoped the girl in the photo was the version of Kiana known as "True Kiana."
See, while Honkai Gakuen 2 and Honkai Impact 3rd share a common setting, their power scales are worlds apart.
We're talking planetary-class Honkai Beasts, folks.
"No. I can't give up just yet. What if she is just the Kiana I know?"
Still clinging to a shred of hope, C.C. exhaled shakily and typed another message into the chat group:
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[Nagami]: Miss Kiana, may I ask… are your parents still alive? I mean no offense, but your answer is extremely important.
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Nagami had never played Honkai Gakuen 2, but as a devoted fan of HI3, he had once looked up some information about its predecessor and characters.
Thanks to a few pigeon-like lurkers on a certain pink app, Nagami had gotten a rough idea of the plot—though not in great detail.
And much like HI3, Honkai Gakuen 2 had its fair share of inconsistencies, plot holes, and timeline messiness.
From what he understood, the story could be split into at least three major timelines or "loops."
"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."
That old saying couldn't sum it up perfectly, but it was close enough for describing this cruel cycle of repetition.
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[Kiana Kaslana]: My parents are still alive... but what do you mean? Are they in danger?
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The urgency in her reply was clear. This time, she sent a voice message.
The voice was identical to that of the tuna, but the tone was completely different—graceful and composed, tinged now with worry.
C.C. raised an eyebrow.
She hadn't expected to hear Kiana's voice using honorifics and polite speech—but this didn't surprise Nagami.
After all, this Kiana was a real noble heiress from Honkai Gakuen 2, and in terms of brains, she was far superior to the version from HI3.
One hundred Tunas put together wouldn't hold a candle to her.
And right now, she was understandably panicked.
Nagami's question had clearly made her suspect that something terrible might happen to her parents—possibly even their deaths.
"…So it really is the third timeline," C.C. muttered.
Her expression froze.
Moments ago, she'd been uncertain, but now the answer hit her like a thunderclap.
She let out a bitter, helpless chuckle. "Of course. Leave it to me, the ever-so-lucky 'RNG'…"
If the heiress Kiana had been in the first or second loop, C.C. could have relaxed.
In those timelines, the destruction of the world was virtually unavoidable—no matter what the group did.
Even if everyone in the chat joined forces, they would still be annihilated.
Unless Accelerator could somehow summon a Magic God to help—which was obviously not going to happen.
Maybe Kamijou Touma could make a difference with his Imagine Breaker.
He would never sit back in the face of an apocalypse. But even then…
Touma was essentially the backbone of his entire universe.
To bring a power like his into another world?
The amount of points needed to "exchange" for such an intervention would be astronomical.
Basically impossible.
And now C.C. hesitated.
Should she tell Kiana what she knew about her future?
If this was the third loop, then… Siegfried was already fated to die.
He would sacrifice himself to protect Kiana.
Unlike the HI3 version of Siegfried—often mocked by fans for being a deadbeat—in Honkai Gakuen 2, he was a true hero and a loving father.
No matter the loop, he always gave his life for Kiana.
In the current timeline, the man with Kiana isn't actually Siegfried—he's Walter, disguised.
The real Siegfried unleashed the full power of Judgment of Shamash to extract the core of Honkai energy from Kiana, saving her at the cost of his own life.
Telling her that now would be a devastating blow.
It could even trigger events that lead her toward becoming Herrscher again.
C.C. was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
Her mind raced.
Kiana had said she was 15.
From what little C.C. remembered of the story, that meant things were about to shift.
Soon, Jiuxiao of Penglai Temple—calling herself "the Chosen One"—would create the game Homu's Great Adventure.
That would kick off a chain of events where Welt (posing as Siegfried) sends Kiana to retrieve Houraiji Kyuusyou from Senba Academy and return her to Schicksal.
And with that, the plot fans knew so well would finally begin.
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[Nagami]: Don't get too worked up just yet. Since fate has brought you into this chat group, I'll do everything I can to help you avoid a tragic ending.
It's not too late to change things.
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Given the heiress Kiana's level of intelligence, there's no way C.C. could fool her with vague words.
Unlike Accelerator, whose mental state completely crumbled after being bombarded with information overload, Kiana's current concern lies with her parents' future.
Generic persuasion tactics just won't work on someone like her.
But at the same time, C.C. couldn't bring herself to directly reveal the harsh future that awaited.
Who knew if Kiana could even handle that kind of mental blow?
Her emotional stability was deeply connected to whether or not she'd eventually become a Herrscher—and letting her drown in despair now could throw everything off course.
So instead, C.C. gave a roundabout confirmation—admitting some truths while still offering hope.
Just enough to keep the girl from breaking down emotionally.
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[Kiana Kaslana]: …Is there an anime from my world? I want to see it.
[Nagami]: I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Your world's story exists in mine only in the form of a game—there aren't any anime adaptations.
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If it had been someone else from the Honkai Gakuen 2 universe, C.C. wouldn't have hesitated to drop all the game lore on them. But this was Kiana.
Compared to the Herrscher version of Kiana in Honkai Impact 3rd, the one in Honkai 2 was…
Hold on.
Her chaotic thoughts came to an abrupt stop. A flicker of realization stirred in her golden eyes.
Honkai 2 and Honkai 3 might not be from the same universe, but they both exist within the same multiverse.
If the fundamental structure of the worlds is the same, then bringing people from Honkai 3 into Honkai 2 wouldn't require the use of a "Fated One."
They could potentially unleash their full powers just by crossing over.
If C.C. brought them in, it would only cost her a single interdimensional travel card—100 points each.
The item wasn't available in the shop yet, but as the group admin, she had early access privileges the moment someone new joined.
And in Honkai 3, there were already examples of humans mastering Herrscher powers through sheer willpower—like Mei, who accepted and controlled her Herrscher side for Kiana's sake.
Walter and even Bronya, who, with Fu Hua's help, could use Sirin's powers.
Heck, not all Herrschers were even enemies in Honkai 3.
The Herrscher of Reason (little Bronya), Mei's Herrscher consciousness…
There was a real possibility some of them could be persuaded to change sides.
Compared to the hardworking and faithful Herrschers in Honkai 2, the ones in Honkai 3 were like a villainous organization in disarray.
So what if she brought the Honkai 3 Herrschers into Honkai 2… Could they stop the apocalypse there?
Would Honkai 2's will of the Honkai seriously try to hijack accounts belonging to Honkai 3 Herrschers?
Ridiculous.
That would be like using a sword from the previous dynasty to execute officials of the current one.
"To defeat a Herrscher, you must use a Herrscher."
C.C. found herself increasingly convinced that this could work.
Judging by her pace, she could probably get a travel card after 15 days of sign-ins.
There was still at least half a year before Kiana met Jiuxiao of Penglai Temple.
That should be plenty of time.
But then came another pressing dilemma.
'In this world… should Mei be allowed to become a Herrscher?'