Bizarre Honkai, a Wife-Chasing Crematorium

St. Freya was a haven, even its Valkyrie training relatively gentle.

Compared to Schicksal's life-or-death missions, St. Freya felt like a safe space. As long as you didn't actively court danger, training here was fairly low-risk.

Himeko couldn't imagine what kind of "emergency" the students were panicking about. Did someone find out about Theresa's magical girl obsession?

"Don't panic," she said calmly, taking a sip of tea. "Now, what happened?"

"Kiana's challenging a Sovereign-class Honkai beast in the simulation!"

Himeko choked on her tea. Emperor-Class?! She'd never faced one solo! What was Kiana thinking, pushing herself this hard again?

"Let's go. Now."

She raced toward the simulation training room, abandoning all pretense of composure.

The leaderboard flashed Kiana's name, stark against the glowing display:

Opponent: Parvati

Class: Emperor

Difficulty: SS

Attempts: 1

Challenger: Kiana Kaslana

Completion Time: 27 min 12 s

Rank: NO. 1

The simulated Parvati was impaled by strange black and white spears with gold trim—weapons not typically found in the simulation.

Kiana stood nearby, gripping another spear, which was embedded in Parvati's weak spot.

Her body was drenched in blue blood, mingling with streaks of her own crimson.

The simulation mimicked pain and bleeding to provide a brutally realistic experience—a constant reminder of one's limits. It wasn't real death, but the psychological toll could be devastating. Many Valkyries left too broken to return, their resolve shattered long before they ever faced real Honkai.

"Are you… kidding me? That's Emperor-Class…" Himeko's voice faltered as she stared at the screen.

Kiana's body was riddled with gruesome wounds—missing fingers, torn flesh, and purple Honkai corruption spreading from her neck to her eyes.

Wait, her eyes…

One eye now gleamed like a golden star, a stark and haunting contrast to the other, which remained a vivid blue. The sight was as beautiful as it was unsettling.

Kiana smiled. It wasn't a triumphant smile but a smug, almost mocking one. Disturbingly, she turned to look directly at them, her lips moving silently.

And then, she collapsed.

"Theresa's niece is truly… something else…" Himeko shook her head.

In just a few months, Kiana had transformed from an ordinary girl into a B-rank Valkyrie. Her combat strength was already approaching A-rank.

She could hold her own against Himeko in hand-to-hand combat—a feat that shouldn't have been possible. Himeko was a seasoned veteran, forged in countless battles. Kiana was a trainee with less than a year of experience.

"She barely managed a draw against a Pseudo-Emperor recently, losing due to exhaustion. And now, she's defeated an Emperor-Class…"

Himeko sighed. "Give her a little more time, and she'll surprise us all. Or terrify us."

She chuckled ruefully. "I'm getting old. I shouldn't judge geniuses by normal standards. Exceptional talent, combined with relentless effort… it's almost discouraging."

Her gaze shifted to the leaderboard. The record was a glaring testament to Kiana's achievement.

Other students might focus on the rank, the difficulty, the single attempt. But Himeko couldn't look past the time: 27 minutes, 12 seconds.

The pain was real. Kiana's wounds proved that. She'd endured unimaginable agony for 27 minutes.

What was she fighting for?

Himeko removed the neural interface and hurriedly rushed Kiana to the infirmary.

The doctor sighed as she saw them enter. This was becoming routine. Li Mo in the morning, Kiana in the afternoon.

Guess my slacking days are over…

After settling Kiana in, Himeko made her way to Li Mo's residence.

"A teacher tattling on a student… how the tables have turned." She chuckled at herself.

But the truth was, Kiana only listened to Li Mo.

What did he do to her? Himeko wondered. To earn such deep devotion?

Even saving someone's life didn't usually lead to this kind of attachment.

She didn't know their story. But as someone who'd seen her fair share of relationships, she could recognize the depth of their bond—and she couldn't comprehend it.

Her own romances barely lasted three days, often ending within hours of meeting someone at a party. She was long past the age of naive, starry-eyed love.

Yet Kiana, fearless in the face of Honkai, was surprisingly docile around Li Mo. She seemed to follow him without hesitation.

It was the opposite of what Himeko had come to expect from most girls.

"She never tells me what happened between them," Himeko muttered. "Always changes the subject. Even Mei can't get anything out of her."

"Does such pure, selfless love truly exist?"

Himeko looked up at the sky, a touch of envy glimmering in her eyes.

"How wonderful…" she whispered. "I'm almost jealous…"

When Li Mo learned of Kiana's reckless stunt, he didn't scold her. Instead, he buried himself deeper in his Honkai research.

If Kiana was pushing herself to the limit, he couldn't afford to slack off.

He worried, of course. But as the saying went, sweat more in training, bleed less in war.

None of them realized the disaster brewing within Kiana.

Six months later, the Herrscher of the Void took control.

Cities were reduced to rubble. Countless lives were lost. Peaceful dreams shattered overnight.

Li Mo watched the news reports, his heart sinking. A survivor's anguished cry echoed through the screen, carving its way into his soul.

"If living is worse than dying, why did you save me? If the future is darker than the present, why did you tell me to look towards the light?"

The words pierced Kiana's heart. She didn't know how to atone. Perhaps she never could.

For the first time, she truly understood Mei's pain.

Her Herrscher persona had been awakened by Otto. But the devastation that followed was undeniable. Even though everyone reassured her—It's not your fault, it's Otto's doing—the truth remained: the Herrscher of the Void had used her body, destroying the world she loved.

Her power, her pride, had become a scythe reaping innocent lives.

Wandering through the ruins of ARC City, Kiana sought refuge in abandoned buildings, her mind weighed down by her sins.

She helped the survivors where she could, but it was never enough. The cries of the bereaved echoed in her ears. Families torn apart. Lives ruined. A debt she could never repay.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

She knelt amidst the flames, pressing the gun to her chin.

One pull of the trigger, and it would all be over.

Repentance was meaningless. It couldn't undo the damage. If she died—if she died now—humanity wouldn't have to waste resources fighting her. She would carry her guilt and regret to the grave.

She'd killed so many. Killing herself was the only way to atone.

She released the safety.

The flames licked at her.

This was different from collapsing in the snow years ago. That had been cold. This? This was a burning inferno within her soul.

She should have died then, in the snow… She wouldn't have hurt so many people.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

Even as she wished for death, an image flickered in her mind. A sliver of hope. An impossible miracle.

When regret crushed her will, when despair consumed her mind, when light faded and darkness reigned, death was a release.

But what if a light appeared, a miracle offering salvation? Would you fight for it, or surrender?

They both answered that question.

Li Mo embraced her from behind, gently pushing the gun away.

"Kiana, let's go home…"

"A-Mo… I… I killed so many… I can't go back… I can't…"

"It's not your fault, Kiana. I want you to live. We'll atone together. So please… live. I'll be waiting. Whenever you're ready to come home, I'll be there."

He placed a simple diamond ring in her hand.

"You were angry last year when I didn't get you a birthday present. I… I didn't know what to get you."

"If you don't want to live for yourself, live for me. I'll be your reason to live. And you… you're my reason for living."

He closed her fingers around the ring.

The miracle might have been fleeting, but it was enough. Enough to ignite the flame of hope, to keep them moving forward.

Alone, perhaps. Misunderstood, perhaps. But Kiana knew. She would give her life for that hope.

That day, Kiana didn't go home with Li Mo. She became a meteor streaking across the sky, saving the people of ARC City from Honkai bombs.

The past was gone. No one could return to those carefree days. Acknowledging weakness without fighting back, wallowing in despair—that was true defeat.

Memories became kindling, fueling their path forward.

A month later, Kiana returned to their home in Nagazora. Li Mo had rebuilt it. Still simple, but a sight that brought tears to her eyes.

"Kiana, what do you want for dinner?"

"Anything. I love your cooking."

"How's the curry?"

"Delicious. Sweet."

She was pretending, maintaining her cheerful facade. But deep down, she'd lost her sense of taste. The Honkai was consuming her. If the Herrscher of the Void wasn't eradicated, she wouldn't live much longer.

Li Mo pretended not to notice.

After sabotaging World Serpent's initial Stigmata project, Kiana had chosen her path.

She didn't want to involve Li Mo. But he didn't want her to suffer alone.

They met once a month, until the Herrscher of Domination appeared, and Otto approached Li Mo.

"Well, my friend? Have you made your decision? I've come with a most sincere offer. Please, die…"

"..."

"Oh, forgive my bluntness. I'm sure you don't mind. You know my plan, and you haven't told anyone. That means you approve."

"The great god of this world, a magnificent alien entity: the Cocoon of Finality. It controls our world's cycle of reincarnation, treating humanity like livestock—breeding us, feeding us, resetting us… until we become what it desires. Its… 'companions.'"

"Tragic, isn't it?" Otto tapped his gloved fingers on the worn wooden table. He was a master manipulator, weaving words into a compelling narrative, steering events toward his desired outcome.