[Detected world: "Jarilo-VI." Binding in progress.]
[Matching rate analysis...]
[Notice: This world's compatibility with Honkai is 32.5%. For every 1% of your personal growth, this world's Honkai energy concentration automatically increases by 0.325%.]
[You have received the Gift of Honkai. Progress toward Finality increased by 5%. One reward draw obtained.]
[You have obtained the attire: "Soulbound Lovebirds."]
Only that much?
Kiana's face lit up with delight—the world's compatibility was only 32.5%. That meant even if she pushed her Finality progression to the limit, Jarilo's Honkai energy concentration would only rise to that same 32.5%.
After Ruan Mei finished all preparations, Kiana, at her request, bound the planet into the domain of Honkai right before her eyes.
Name: Kiana
Faction: Honkai
Talents: Authority of Finality, Pathstrider of Nihility
Skills: Phase Shuttle (Void), Power of the Saint, Abyssal Gaze...
Finality Progression: 55%
Honkai Energy Concentration: Izumo (MAX), Jarilo-VI (17.875%)
Summary: You are walking the correct path. Use this power with caution. When given a chance to choose, do not let yourself regret it.
Her status panel had changed. The Honkai Energy Concentration field was no longer exclusive to Izumo.
But what caught Kiana's eye the most was the line under "Summary." The words had changed again.
"When given a chance to choose, do not let yourself regret it?"
Kiana tilted her head slightly, puzzled.
The line said something different each time. She made a note of it mentally but didn't dwell on it too much.
She'd treat it as just a system hint.
Inside the temporary lab Ruan Mei had built, Kiana finally turned her attention to her newly earned reward.
After confirming she hadn't misread it, a flicker of emotion crossed her eyes. The last time she'd bound Izumo, the system's reward had been Phase Shuttle—a spatial ability that remained immensely useful even now.
This time, there was no new skill.
Instead—
"It's Soulbound Lovebirds?"
The Twin Phoenixes, Soulbound Lovebirds—she remembered this equipment vividly.
Its enhancement effects could be ignored. Once one's strength reached a certain threshold, the system's equipment amplification hit a natural ceiling.
Soulbound Lovebirds couldn't help her surpass that critical point. Kiana thought that breaking past it might only be possible if she completed her progression to one hundred percent.
But what truly mattered to her was the meaning behind this outfit.
And she'd never actually tried wearing an attire-type item before. She hadn't expected her first one to be Soulbound Lovebirds.
Gazing at the familiar outfit, Kiana felt her heart stir.
"Let's try it."
The thought formed naturally.
At her will, Soulbound Lovebirds dissolved into white light, enveloping her figure and radiating a brilliant glow.
Outside the lab, Acheron could no longer stay still.
Watching through the window, her eyes narrowed as she turned sharply toward the door.
"Wait a moment," Ruan Mei said, slightly surprised as well. But she sensed no danger and stopped Acheron's advance.
"I only detected Honkai energy. Nothing else."
"Wait? You don't think by the time something actually happens, it'll already be too late?"
Though she stopped in place, Acheron's expression darkened. Her gaze toward Ruan Mei, who seemed absorbed in the experiment, was full of displeasure.
"I trust Kiana," Ruan Mei said calmly.
"I trust her too—but that doesn't stop me from worrying about her!"
Acheron truly couldn't understand how Kiana could be so fond of someone like this.
And Ruan Mei, in turn, couldn't understand Acheron.
If you trusted Kiana, why worry at all? Wasn't that a useless concern?
Ruan Mei's eyes fixed on Acheron, clearly refusing to let her enter the lab just yet. Kiana's change was still in progress, and according to her readings, the monitoring wasn't complete.
Fortunately, the anomaly inside the lab didn't last long. After only a few seconds, the blinding white light vanished completely.
When it faded, Kiana's appearance had changed—or rather, she now wore an outfit none of them had ever seen before.
Two hues intertwined on her form, shaping a white dress adorned with golden delicate accessories. It had a distinct, captivating design—elegant yet bold. The cut of the fabric subtly revealed her underboob, making the outfit more alluring than anything she had worn before. Sacred. Striking. It felt as though any word meant to capture beauty would fall short when applied to her.
Inside the lab, Kiana lowered her gaze, looking at the white gloves now covering her hands and the transformation of her own body. Her mind froze for a moment.
Did equipping attire come with special effects?
A transformation?
"Kiana?"
Before she could think any further, the lab door opened, and Acheron stepped inside.
"Mei!"
The instant she saw Acheron, Kiana abandoned all thoughts about her transformation and ran forward, wrapping her arms around her in excitement.
"It worked! And the world's compatibility with Honkai isn't high—only 32.5%. Even if I enter Herrscher form here, the impact on this world won't be too severe."
Held in her embrace, Acheron carefully studied Kiana, her gaze sweeping over every detail, searching for even the slightest hint of illusion or disguise.
She feared that Kiana, not wanting her to worry, might deliberately hide something about her condition.
After all, she'd done that before.
Feeling Acheron's unbroken stare, Kiana blinked shyly and turned her eyes aside. "Mei, why are you staring at me like that?"
"This outfit..."
"Oh, this?"
Kiana perked up immediately. "It's equipment—just like the Edict Edges and other weapons. I just received it as a reward. What do you think? Does it look good?"
Her tone was light, cheerful, a smile brightening her face. "If you like it, Mei, I can give it to you!"
Give her the outfit?
Acheron fell silent. Kiana's words hung in the air, her expression a little strange.
Even with their relationship, gifting alluring clothes like this carried a... certain implication.
And yet, she found herself a little tempted.
"It suits you. There's no need to give it away. I'd rather you keep wearing it."
"It suits me, huh?"
Kiana glanced down at the non-existent skirt, then muttered, half-playful, "But Mei would look great in it too."
Wait—would it really suit her?
As soon as she said that, Kiana suddenly realized her mistake. The woman before her was no longer the young girl she once knew. This was the fully grown, graceful Mei—composed, elegant, mature.
Kiana herself hadn't changed much, perhaps because of her long slumber, but Mei's transformation was obvious—plain to the eye.
Both her appearance and her aura.
Would Soulbound Lovebirds even suit her anymore? What would it look like on Mei?
Kiana couldn't help feeling curious.
"I'm not suited for that color," Acheron said softly, brushing a hand through Kiana's silken white hair. "And I've long passed the age for such things."
Her eyes softened, her tone warm. "But you're different. This dress... suits you perfectly. You look beautiful."
"Ruan, have you found anything?"
Failing to convince Acheron didn't discourage Kiana in the least. There was plenty of time ahead—she'd find a way to get Acheron to wear it for her.
If persuasion failed, she'd just wear her down slowly.
She knew Acheron well; under enough persistence, she'd eventually give in.
"A discovery... yes, a small one."
Ruan Mei looked up from her console, briefly distracted when she saw Kiana stepping out of the lab. Upon seeing her new appearance, her expression flickered with mild surprise.
Clothes make the person, after all.
It was her first time seeing Kiana dressed like this—she truly did look different. Though the surprise was brief, curiosity quickly replaced it.
That flash of white light earlier... was Kiana changing clothes?
So even her power included transformation now?
Interesting.
"Just now, several instruments positioned across different areas detected varying levels of Honkai energy response," Ruan Mei reported.
Rather than calling it binding, she preferred to think of it as invasion or assimilation.
At Kiana's mere will, this planet—once completely disconnected from Honkai—had begun to register Honkai energy.
It wasn't quite spontaneous generation, but it confirmed her earlier hypothesis: the relationship between Kiana and Honkai energy was exactly as she'd theorized.
"It shouldn't be too severe, right? At most, that level of Honkai reaction might produce some Honkai Beasts or zombies."
Jarilo's Honkai density hadn't even reached twenty percent. Even if a disaster occurred, it wouldn't be strong.
Besides, Ruan Mei had already begun distributing Stigmata factors throughout Jarilo-VI to ensure baseline resistance among its people.
The situation here was far better than in Izumo. With this level of Honkai energy, even the birth of a Herrscher would be nearly impossible.
"It's perfect for the experimental stage," Ruan Mei said lightly.
To ensure stability, dosage had to increase slowly—step by step. That was the safest approach.
"Did you get the results you wanted?" she asked next.
She hadn't forgotten the real purpose of all this.
Using an entire planet to collect data was the fastest, most efficient method—but the reason she'd done it was to test one of Kiana's theories.
"I did," Kiana admitted openly. She stepped closer, letting Ruan Mei examine her. "My Herrscher progression has increased again, and my understanding of Honkai energy feels deeper than before."
Her progression toward Finality had finally passed the 50% mark, reaching 55% for the first time.
The 50% threshold had been a wall—but crossing it brought a new sense of awareness.
Especially in how she used her abilities.
Stronger. Longer-lasting.
Even her Phase Shuttle ability had evolved, gaining new forms and functions.
Acheron stood silently to the side, watching without a word—like a vigilant guardian—her eyes fixed on Ruan Mei's hand resting on Kiana's arm.
She wasn't sure whether Ruan Mei's guidance toward Honkai was truly a good thing or not.
But...
Just as she'd known from the beginning—
There was no turning back for Kiana. Her bond with Honkai was inseparable. She could only keep walking this path forward.
"Hmm?"
Ruan Mei's eyes narrowed slightly, her tone curious as she tightened her grip around Kiana's wrist. "Interesting..."
"What is it?"
It was Kiana's first time seeing Ruan Mei look so intrigued during one of her scans. Anxiety flickered in her chest.
Acheron, too, grew tense beside her. Ruan Mei wasn't the type to be idle or dramatic without reason.
"Don't worry—it's good news."
Hearing Kiana's unease, Ruan Mei slowly released her hand and explained, "The power of Nihility within you is dissipating. At this rate, it won't be long before you're free from its influence."
Kiana blinked. It had been so long since she'd last felt Nihility's effects that she'd nearly forgotten she was still under its shadow—that she was, even now, a Self-Annihilator.
"Free from it completely?"
"The balance within you has been completely broken. Honkai energy has taken the upper hand—it's assimilating the power of Nihility in your body."
Ruan Mei sounded intrigued. Normally, that kind of influence was nearly impossible to erase—especially when it came to Nihility, a Path capable of affecting others.
"Then... does that mean Mei might also be freed from being a Self-Annihilator?"
Kiana's eyes lit up with excitement—not for herself, but for Acheron, who had long been burdened by Nihility's power.
Though Acheron's circumstances differed slightly from her in-game counterpart—thanks to Honkai and Kiana's presence—she was still deeply affected by Nihility.
Just not to the same degree.
If possible, Kiana didn't want Acheron to keep walking down that lonely path.
Nihility was strong, yes—but it was also dangerously unstable!
"Unfortunately, that's highly unlikely," Ruan Mei said, dashing Kiana's hope. Her gaze shifted to the calm, silent Acheron. "Her situation isn't the same as yours. You're a special case."
"...It's fine. I'm content as I am."
Acheron didn't sound disappointed. Seeing Kiana's expression fall, she even offered a rare attempt at comfort.
"But using Honkai's power to balance against Nihility—to preserve the self—might still be worth testing," Ruan Mei added.
"Like what I did before?"
"Perhaps."
Ruan Mei didn't confirm it outright. Whether Kiana's condition was truly unique remained uncertain.
After all, Kiana was the only one with Honkai energy in her body—and the only one who'd ever allowed Ruan Mei to study her so freely.
And she was different from all others.
"I see..."
"There's no need," Acheron interrupted softly, cutting off Kiana's thoughts. "I can bear this cost."
As long as her memories of Kiana never faded, she could endure the pain of what had been lost.
"But I want you to be like a normal person," Kiana said, her voice trembling slightly. "At least to be able to taste again—to feel sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and spice."
Under Nihility's influence, most of Acheron's senses had dulled. Her sense of taste, especially, was nearly gone.
To live unable to taste food—how much joy of life did that steal from her?
"That's a common phenomenon among Self-Annihilators," Ruan Mei said thoughtfully. "Reversing it would be... troublesome."
Her gaze lingered on Acheron, her mind clearly turning. "But if you're willing to cooperate, perhaps I could try to find a solution."
"There's no need to trouble yourself."
Acheron refused without hesitation. Kiana might trust Ruan Mei completely, but that didn't mean she would.
Especially since Ruan Mei had said it herself—it would be troublesome.
Emotionally, Acheron could never fully accept Ruan Mei the way Kiana did.
The fact that she could coexist peacefully with her at all—enduring her discomfort and ignoring Ruan Mei's closeness with Kiana—was already the greatest concession she could make.
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