If the "Kiana" had awakened in her full form, not even Cecilia's Saint Power could've held her back.
But in her barely-awakened state?
Against two Saint Powers born from the same source and able to resonate with each other? Suppressing her was effortless.
Under the combined force of the The heiress and True Kiana, the violet Honkai patterns on the Kiana's body began to rapidly fade.
This time, the Kiana didn't even get a chance to puff up before she was completely deflated.
As the saying goes: If you deflate it fast enough, you can break the rule that "inflating always leads to deflation"!
"You idiot, what the hell were you thinking?!"
True Kiana grabbed the Kiana by the collar and glared straight into those eyes filled with despair and helplessness.
Her voice feigned anger but trembled with something softer underneath.
"Are you deaf or something? Didn't you hear me call you Kiana? What are you even spiraling about?! How do I have such a stupid little sister?!"
"Li… little sister…?"
The Kiana stared blankly at the girl in front of her—who looked exactly like her as if she couldn't believe what she just heard.
"Of course you are!" True Kiana's tone lightened, almost cheerful.
But then she furrowed her brows, scrutinizing the Kiana's dazed face as if suddenly struck by a terrifying realization.
"…Wait. Don't tell me… you were about to call me mom?!"
By biological standards, sure—replicas could technically be considered children.
But honestly, anyone who spends too much time with Nagami inevitably ends up thinking weird things…
"…Tch. I mean, it's not impossible, but that would make Nagami your dad. And that means your chances with him would be completely gone."
She sucked in a cold breath, her face twisted in theatrical pain, like she was sacrificing something huge.
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[The heiress]: …
[The heiress]: Are you sure that wouldn't just make Nagami even more excited?
———————————————————————
Having spent plenty of time around a certain pervert, the The heiress had a pretty accurate read on his "tastes."
"You're only allowed to call me one thing—big sister!"
With lightning speed, True Kiana tightened her grip, yanking the Kiana's collar until their faces were practically touching.
Her expression twisted into something truly terrifying.
"You got that?!"
That elegant yet chilling tone was like a bucket of ice water dumped over the Kiana's head.
She snapped out of her daze instantly.
Her eyes flew open, her whole body tensing like a snake pinned by the neck.
"Uh… oh—okay…"
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[???]: If you dare call her "mom," I swear I'll end you.
———————————————————————
A voice growled in her mind—sharp, furious, and definitely not hers.
It jerked her half-functioning brain back into gear. The emptiness in her eyes began to fade.
"Wait—hold on! Mom? Sister? What the heck is going on?!"
Snapping out of her emotional fog, the Kiana gaped at True Kiana in stunned confusion.
She'd already begun to suspect she wasn't the real Kiana, but the details of her origin remained a blur.
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[???]: Fool. If you know you're not the real Kiana, haven't you ever wondered where you came from?
———————————————————————
The mocking voice echoed again, laced with amusement and disdain.
Yeah… if she wasn't the original, then… who exactly was she?
And more importantly…
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[Kiana]: …Then who are you?
[???]: Hah! Foolish human. Feel honored—you are the vessel of the mighty Second Herrscher!]
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"…The Second Herrscher?"
She whispered it aloud, her voice barely audible as realization dawned. Her eyes widened, her expression fogging over again.
"Oh, so she's fully awake now—even if she hasn't taken control."
True Kiana, several IQ points ahead of the Kiana, immediately deduced what was going on from her expression: she was talking to the Herrscher inside her.
She glanced at Siegfried, who had been in a state of dumb shock since this conversation started, then pulled the Kiana into a gentle hug.
Just to stabilize her emotions.
Nothing more! Absolutely no emotional attachment involved!
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[The heiress]: Aw~ I didn't know "I" could be such a tsundere! This is kinda… adorable?
[True Kiana: SHUT. UP.
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True Kiana shot her other self a death glare, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Unable to endure the The heiress's smug look any longer, she quickly let go of the Kiana and flicked her forehead with two fingers.
"So here's the deal," she began, gently. "From a biological standpoint, I'm Cecilia's daughter… and you're…"
True Kiana patiently began to explain everything, the truth of their origins, the history, the science—her tone as soft and warm as she could manage.
All the while, she and the The heiress quietly radiated their Saint Powers, keeping the surrounding Honkai beasts at bay.
On a ruined and silent street, beneath a moon now hidden by dark clouds, one girl gently told a long and painful story.
The Kiana listened quietly, her snow-white bangs covering her delicate face.
"…A clone… and… the Second Herrscher?" Her voice finally broke the silence, trembling and fragile.
She hadn't lifted her head the whole time—face hidden in shadow, as if ashamed to let anyone see it.
A little distance away, Siegfried finally raised a hand to speak—but before he could utter a word, True Kiana shot him a glare sharp enough to kill.
Without hesitation, she brought her hand down in a brutal chop to the Kiana's forehead.
"OW— That hurt!"
Her pale forehead immediately turned red, and her eyes welled up with tears.
"What's with that expression?! And what's with that look in your eyes?!"
Frustration was written all over her face.
True Kiana shouted furiously, grabbing the collar of the girl in front of her, staring straight into those mismatched gold and blue eyes.
"I've told you so many times already! You are Kiana Kaslana!"
There was no attachment to that name.
Once, True Kiana might've never had such a thought.
But now, she possessed just as much—if not more than Kiana Kaslana ever did.
This life, this identity—everything she had now—belonged to her.
No one could take it away by slapping on a different name.
No matter what she was called, the bond between her and the heiress would never break.
Nagami wouldn't treat her any differently either.
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[The heiress]: I don't know why, but it kind of feels like my daughter's all grown up~
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The reason True Kiana could change her mindset so quickly was largely thanks to their constant, unbroken mental connection.
The heiress's influence was absolutely irreplaceable.
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[True Kiana]: Shut up and get lost!!
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...Though the one thing she hated was how that girl always ruined the moment whenever True Kiana was feeling touched.
The girl with the mismatched eyes stared at True Kiana's resolute face, deep guilt pooling in her gaze.
After all... she was True Kiana, in a sense.
"...But still..."
"If you really want to make it up to me... then stay away from my Nagami from now on."
Seeing the guilt in her eyes, True Kiana nodded in satisfaction.
She had chosen to forgive her—but if she'd shown no remorse, True Kiana would've seriously questioned whether she made the right choice.
"..."
A long silence.
The other girl stood frozen, staring at True Kiana, the smile on her face vanishing in an instant.
"Not happening. Unrealistic. Keep dreaming! Even if you're my sister, I'm not handing Nagami over to you!"
"You're just a little sister! You better remember your place!"
The two sisters crossed their arms in perfect sync, glaring into each other's eyes, sparks practically flying in the air between them.
Seeing how things were taking a bizarre turn, Siegfried let out a long, heavy sigh—as if trying to exhale every last trace of the tangled emotions in his chest.
He'd never met Nagami in person, but at this moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward that boy he'd never seen.
Two girls liking the same person... was still better than them trying to kill each other.
Even if that Nagami turned out to be a girl... Wait.
Suddenly, Siegfried froze, breath caught in his throat.
With Kiana's personality... it wasn't impossible.
...Well, even then, it was still better than the worst-case scenario.
Judging from what Kiana just said, Nagami was probably a boy anyway.
Which left him with just one last question:
'Who was the other one then?'
Siegfried turned to the elegant girl who had quietly stood behind True Kiana the whole time.
That same Nagami girl now clapped her hands as she stepped between True Kiana and the other girl, the sharp sound drawing the attention of the two white-haired troublemakers.
"I gotta ask—are you two just completely ignoring my existence?"
Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she looked straight at the sisters.
"I'm not backing down from this, just so you know!"
The other girl had just opened her mouth to say something when she was cut off by the heiress raising her hand.
"Making up with your sister is nice and all... but as the real Sirin's little sister, shouldn't you be doing something for your big sister right about now?"
The heiress raised her chin gracefully, giving the other girl a meaningful look.
There was no need to say anything to True Kiana—they were already in sync.
The mismatched-eyed girl suddenly froze.
After a few seconds of silence, she blinked, turned toward Siegfried, and gave him a look unlike anything he'd ever seen—dangerous.
The heiress winked at True Kiana, then pulled her along so the three of them—side by side—could stare directly at Siegfried.
As the three identical-looking white-haired girls slowly approached him, Siegfried's expression went stiff.
"Die!" ×3
The trio of Kianas charged at the white-haired, one-armed man.
[TL Note — Poor guy..... anyway please continue.]