First off.
The system told her from the very beginning.
It could see the future.
But the future—it's changing every single moment.
Even if you split a second into countless fragments, endless possibilities are born and just as many fade away.
Because every choice, every thought, every intertwining of lives influences where the future is headed.
At most, some people carry more weight.
Others are barely a footnote.
Obviously, Kiana is one of those people the world can't do without.
As the vessel of the Finality of this era, she's practically born under Honkai's favor.
If it were just Honkai erosion, or even Honkai beasts, zombies, or Herrschers causing disasters, that blessing would probably keep her safe.
But if human conflicts, schemes, and infighting ended up harming her… well, that'd just be pointless.
'Cause at her core, she's still only human.
Kiana even wonders if the reason her past self in the Previous Era's story died early might've been because of human infighting.
After all, even if she stayed out of politics, never became a council member… if her family's political enemies had her in their sights, things would've gotten ugly.
And besides—as the young lady of her house, was she really not going to inherit the family business? Yeah, right.
Even setting all that aside, who's to say during some battle against a Herrscher, the Herrscher itself didn't mean to kill her, but a human weapon did? That could've happened too.
So knowing how dangerous this world is, of course Kiana wants to wield power strong enough to protect herself.
But beyond that, the system's most important function is deception.
Why does she keep emphasizing that she needs more people to believe in this future, to hope for it, so she can gather more emotional energy and steer the future in that direction?
Because.
Even among possible futures, not all carry equal weight.
The more weight a future has, the more likely it is to happen.
And if you want to interfere, even just a little, it takes a tremendous amount of force.
Human emotion is a strange and powerful thing.
When she was little, Kiana lent her light to Ultraman Tiga, and Tiga achieved his Glitter form, defeating an incredibly powerful enemy.
If more people in the world believe, if the public will converges and is guided, even the tiniest influence could become the straw that breaks the camel's back—producing unexpected results.
So really, it's not a complete lie.
Because, even if I'm painting a pretty picture, if you believe in it, then that picture becomes real. It can happen.
That's also why the system recommends that when Kiana reveals things, she should refine the message, using highly subjective language to guide public opinion.
If it were just raw footage, everyone might interpret it differently.
Everyone's thoughts would head in different directions.
It's like manipulating public opinion.
If someone speaks with a clear, biased perspective, not everyone will believe it—but it won't be useless, either.
Take Sirin, for example. Everyone knows her as one of humanity's most terrifying enemies.
But if you see things from Sirin's point of view, the story changes.
As much as she's hated, she's also pitiable.
In the end, it adds a touch of softness to what it means to be a Herrscher.
So what if she said that Herrschers can reclaim their humanity?
If people believed that, could the Herrschers of the Previous Era have had a sliver of a chance without Elysia's sacrifice?
Don't think that such a small chance is almost meaningless.
Sometimes, turning the impossible into the possible is a breakthrough from zero to one.
Sometimes, that tiny difference is all it takes.
Could the entire world's fate change because of it?
"So, if I use the videos shown in the sky to tell everyone that I, the Herrscher of Finality, can be reasoned with—that it's possible to hold onto my humanity…"
"Does that mean I'd have a better chance of keeping my consciousness? And maybe even help the whole world skip class, so to speak?"
"…"
The thought crossed Kiana's mind.
The furrow in her brow softened slightly.
Even though she phrased it as a question, she knew that with the system by her side, she wouldn't be controlled by the Cocoon of Finality, no matter what.
Heck, she might even end up controlling it instead. Who knows?
It was like a weight had been lifted.
She felt much more at ease.
The system affirmed Kiana's thinking, though it added:
[The more significant the change, the greater its weight, and the more emotional energy is needed to alter fate.]
[It might not happen all at once. But with persistence—pushing forward now, adjusting the future bit by bit—]
[if we keep trying, we'll get there eventually.]
[…]
[Besides, the sky broadcasts are part of that process of change.]
It's like we're standing in the past of the future, and the future is somewhere far ahead.
We move toward the future, and the future moves toward us. Knowing what's coming ahead of time is already a variable.
Kiana's pretty sharp, always asking the key questions.
That makes things even smoother.
She'd actually asked before:
Why does editing need narration? Why not make everything crystal clear?
The answer made sense, in a way.
Because although the system can observe possible futures and even nudge the worldline, the further into the future it looks, the more fragmented things become.
After all, nothing in this world is absolute, and nothing follows a fixed path.
Even the storyline Kiana knew from the game has been completely shattered ever since she arrived with her system and all the revelations yet to come.
It's a useful reference, but not something to rely on completely.
If she took everything from the game at face value, she'd be setting herself up for failure.
Luckily, the system also works like an encyclopedia, able to retrieve all sorts of information about this world.
If something doesn't match reality, it'll speak up and let her know.
"Honestly…"
"I've never done anything like this before."
"…"
Kiana smiled slightly, gazing up at the ceiling in her room.
[I will assist you,] the system replied.
"What if I try narrating the videos like those commentary creators I used to watch? Would that work better?" Kiana asked.
[As long as it pleases you.]
The system had no objections.
Even if contradictions with reality arise and cause issues, sometimes those very contradictions are necessary.
If everything already fit perfectly, what would be the point of shifting the worldline?
But!
If it feels more grounded, more like a natural progression, of course more people would believe it.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.