Honkai Impact 3rd: Yumeji Satsuki's lies

BOOM!!

Another earth-shattering impact. The air trembled violently as if someone had just slapped it into oblivion. The training room floor collapsed into a massive crater, the aftermath of a merciless baseball bat swing from Kiana. Don't get it wrong—it's not like she intended to destroy everything. But when you've reached Round 7 of a battle between two absolute lunatics, the concept of "property preservation" had already been flushed down the drain back in Round 3.

On the opposite side, Simulated Yumeji lightly leaped backward, landing on a floating slab of concrete. The wind style blade of the Xuan Yuan sword in his hands was wreathed in swirling flames, radiating heat so intense that the air around it shimmered. The dust from Kiana's previous swing had yet to settle, but he had already slashed forward, sending a fiery arc slicing through the air toward the white-haired girl.

"BOOM!!"

A whirlwind of flames erupted, spiraling through the remains of what was once a high-tech training facility. The reinforced walls, designed to withstand strikes from Emperor-Class Honkai Beasts, were now cracked and crumbling, smoke and debris swirling like remnants of a mythological battlefield.

Right at the heart of the storm, Kiana sprang off the ground, using a floating chunk of debris to pivot mid-air, narrowly dodging a lethal slash from Simulated Yumeji. The wind style blade of Xuan Yuan howled, raking through the air in a blazing arc—imbued with the power of Fire Cloud, it carved through space like a tempest of flames.

"Oh? You actually dodged that? I thought you'd get sliced up like back in Round 5, my lady."

His voice rang out, cold and laced with mockery.

"Shut up! I'm not your damn punching bag, asshole!"

Kiana gritted her teeth. Twisting in mid-air, she swung her fist at him. The air shrieked as her body surged with Hyoui-Ryoku Neko-Charm, allowing her to control her Honkai energy with maximum efficiency while minimizing unnecessary depletion. With it, she forged a pair of battle gauntlets and armored boots, reinforcing her entire body while using the leftover Honkai energy as an additional protective layer.

"BAM!!"

Simulated Yumeji leaped back just in time, Kiana's fist tearing through the space where he had just stood, creating a small explosion that sent shards of metal flying.

She didn't give him a chance to counter.

With her enhanced speed pushed to its limits, Kiana shot forward, her left fist rocketing toward his face.

"Not bad."

Yumeji lazily raised his sword to block, but the moment their weapons clashed—

"BOOM!!"

A shockwave rippled outward like a localized earthquake. Air detonated, the ground beneath them fracturing as debris scattered in every direction.

Kiana didn't slow down. She kicked off the flat of his blade, using it as a springboard to shift directions, flipping mid-air before delivering a brutal roundhouse kick to Yumeji's side.

"Crack—!"

Simulated Yumeji was sent flying like a bullet, his body spinning through the air before slamming into the ground, carving a deep fissure across the battlefield.

"Hah! Had enough yet, you rock-headed bastard?!"

Kiana landed, fists clenched, breath heavy from the relentless fight. But before she could even savor the moment—

"Not bad, but still not enough."

Simulated Yumeji was already standing. Hardly a scratch on him. He dusted off his jacket, his eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and cruelty.

"I'll admit it—you're finally starting to use your brain, my lady. But unfortunately—"

He raised his sword, its blade now burning with an even fiercer inferno.

"—Your hotheadedness still isn't enough to beat me."

And then—he lunged.

His blade carved arcs of death through the air, flames spiraling like a dragon coiling around its prey. Kiana twisted, dodging by the skin of her teeth, feeling the scorching heat pass just inches from her skin. But this time, she didn't just evade—

"Wham!"

She caught one of his slashes with her battle gauntlets and instantly countered.

"You love slicing me up, huh?! Eat this!"

She spun, swinging the Kaslana Iron Bat in a devastating arc, aiming to flatten him with sheer brute force. The air trembled.

But Simulated Yumeji didn't dodge. Instead, he smirked, raising his left hand—

"Boost X3—"

And in the blink of an eye, his entire form disappeared from her sight.

"The—?!"

A hurricane-force gale slammed into her from behind.

Kiana barely had time to register it before—

"BOOM!!"

A sword strike crashed into her back, launching her like a cannonball. She smashed into the reinforced steel wall of the training room, leaving cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.

"Hurts, doesn't it? Of course, it does."

Yumeji's mocking voice echoed through the battlefield.

"If you're going to collapse this early, I'll be really disappointed, my lady."

Kiana planted her hands on the ground, forcing herself to stand. Pain lanced through her body, but it wasn't enough to stop her.

No.

This fight wasn't over.

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes burning with sheer determination.

"Keep laughing… but I swear, I'm gonna kick your ass in this round!"

With a sharp crack, she clenched her fists and charged back into battle.

—

Theresa Apocalypse had spent years battling Honkai, facing threats beyond human comprehension, leading St. Freya Academy, and managing the Hyperion. But nothing had prepared her for the sheer, soul-crushing despair of watching her two most problematic students annihilate a multimillion-dollar training facility like a pair of absolute lunatics.

Inside the control room, Theresa clutched her head, her blue eyes locked onto the surveillance monitors displaying the escalating chaos below.

The training hall—engineered to withstand Emperor-Class Honkai Beast attacks—was shaking like it was about to collapse. Fractures spread across the reinforced steel walls, while chunks of the ceiling and floor were twisted beyond recognition from the absurdly powerful shockwaves.

"OH NO! IT'S FALLING APART! STOP!! PLEASE STOP!! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS PLACE COSTS?!"

Theresa screamed in utter despair, but no one listened.

Down below, Kiana shot forward like a missile, wielding the Kaslana Iron Bat—a weapon she had discarded in the previous rounds after being thoroughly beaten. Now, enhanced by Hyoui-Ryoku Neko-Charm, she had reached a state of peak Honkai energy control. Her body was so reinforced that every punch could dent the hull of a battleship.

BOOM!!

The baseball bat in Kiana's hands swept across, creating a storm of Honkai energy that tore through the air. But the simulated Yumeji showed no sign of faltering.

"Oh? Have you gone back to the 'just swing and hope for the best' strategy, my lady?"

Simulated Yumeji maintained his usual condescending attitude, his deep blue eyes drilling into his opponent. The Xuanyuan Sword in his hands erupted into a fiery whirlwind, each slash sharp enough to cut through space itself.

Kiana gritted her teeth, weaving through the sword strikes by mere inches. She swung the baseball bat with all her might, clashing against Yumeji's blade with a thunderous explosion. The shockwave rippled outward, shaking the entire battlefield.

Up in the control room, Theresa was on the verge of tears.

"Stop it! Stop fighting already!! That's academy property!!!"

But of course, no one cared about the desperate cries of an economically struggling headmaster.

The battle escalated from melee combat to aerial clashes—despite neither of them actually knowing how to fly. They used every surface in the room, bouncing, flipping, and engaging in a frenzied parkour-like duel.

Theresa's heart clenched as she watched.

She wasn't worried about the two fighters—one was the academy's powerful Valkyrie, the other just a simulated AI. No one was going to die.

She was worried about… MONEY!

The repair costs!

The replacement fees!

How she would explain this to her grandfather, Otto Apocalypse, if he ever found out!

Sure, her grandfather was a billionaire, and Schicksal's resources were vast, but money was still money! And besides, she absolutely did not want to ask Otto for funds. She was over 40 now—begging for money at this age was just… HUMILIATING!

Theresa Apocalypse—a once-great Valkyrie who had fought Herrschers and led St. Freya Academy—was now just a financially distressed principal, watching her academy's budget go up in flames with every clash of these two reckless monsters.

And so, she could only stand there, helpless, witnessing the destruction of her school's assets.

---

It was an intense, sweat-drenched battle, but it wasn't over yet—one last round remained.

Kiana tightened her grip on the Xuanyuan Lightning Pistol, her azure eyes burning with determination. Her breath was ragged, arcs of electricity crackling around her body, but she stood firm. What she was about to do wasn't an ordinary technique—it was something that formed in the moment, inspired by the absurdity of fighting an opponent as monstrous as Yumeji.

—And this time, she would succeed.

Taking a deep breath, Kiana raised her gun—not to shoot, but to channel. Instead of firing bolts of lightning, she wrapped the barrel in a cocoon of Honkai Energy, trapping the electromagnetic pulses inside. She pulled the trigger—again and again. Each shot did not release but was absorbed back into the growing sphere of energy, like inflating a balloon—but with pure lightning.

Bzzzt… The orb of energy swelled, a massive electric storm now floating ominously in the air.

Simulated Yumeji, standing at a considerable distance, tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes at the spectacle. Then, he let out a scoff.

"Oh my, my dear lady. You call that an attack? It's so slow that even a turtle could dodge it."

He wasn't wrong.

The energy sphere wasn't fast. It simply hovered in the air, drifting aimlessly like a balloon caught in the wind.

Kiana, hearing his remark, immediately snapped back.

"Shut your damn mouth, you condescending prick! When did I say this was an attack?"

And with that, she jumped up and grabbed the lightning sphere—an action that made Yumeji's eyes widen slightly.

That's right. She grabbed it.

She didn't dodge. She didn't shoot it. She held it with her bare hands.

Of course, doing so without protection was a death sentence. But Kiana had already used Hyoui-Ryoku to form an insulating layer around her palms, like wearing anti-static gloves.

That was only the beginning.

She took a deep breath and proceeded with the riskiest step—absorbing the energy into her body.

The moment the first surge of electricity entered her, her entire body convulsed violently.

Her nerves fired uncontrollably, every cell in her skin felt like it was being roasted from the inside. Her legs trembled, but her resolve was unshaken.

Simulated Yumeji immediately realized what she was doing.

"Oh, for the love of—ARE YOU INSANE?! You idiot! That's going to fry you alive!"

But despite Yumeji's warning, Kiana gritted her teeth, her body seizing from the sheer voltage surging through her. She forced out her words, though they came in broken gasps from the shocks:

"Shut… uuuhhh… aghhh!!! SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH AND WATCH!!! Guaaaaghhh!!!"

Up in the control room, Theresa screamed in horror.

"Kiana!! Are you crazy?! That's suicide!"

Someone should have stepped in to stop her. But instead, they all just watched.

Lightning surged across Kiana's body, yet she endured it. The blue-violet arcs danced across her skin, writhing like massive serpents.

She clenched her fists, her eyes blazing with determination.

Despite the overwhelming pain, despite the searing agony ripping through every fiber of her being, Kiana roared:

"Who the hell do you think I am?!"

Kiana, her body wracked with electricity, forced her trembling hands into fists, her eyes wide and fierce.

Even as she was being electrocuted, even as the pain threatened to tear her apart, she screamed:

"I AM KIANA KASLANA!!"

"This little inconvenience—THERE'S NO WAY IT CAN DEFEAT ME!!!"

Though her voice was strained, broken by the spasms wracking her body, her spirit was unshaken.

Each word, each syllable was shouted between the roaring of thunder.

Despite the searing pain, despite the electricity surging through every vein, she continued absorbing the untamed energy.

The current coursed through her bloodstream. Her muscles spasmed uncontrollably, her joints rattled.

But…

Kiana did not die.

She was taming it.

From afar, Simulated Yumeji watched the scene unfold, his eyes gleaming with a strange excitement.

---

He didn't rush in to attack.

Nor did he intend to stop her.

He just stood there, observing.

And for a brief moment, even though he was merely a simulation created by the room's server from Kiana's memories, the simulated Yumeji felt his heart stir.

Not out of worry.

But out of anticipation.

He wanted to know just how much Kiana had improved throughout the battle as she faced him.

---

A moment later, just as Kiana gathered all the electricity into herself, she suddenly stood still in a strange manner, head lowered, causing both Yumeji and Theresa to frown slightly.

The simulated Yumeji glanced at the girl before him.

There was no doubt about it—this girl who had just turned herself into a walking power bank was Kiana Kaslana.

But something was… different.

The atmosphere grew tense.

Kiana kept her head down, standing as still as a statue, not even bothering to move.

A strange silence enveloped the training room, apart from the crackling sounds slowly building up around her.

Crackle.

Crackle.

Tiny bolts of blue-purple electricity arced from her skin, coiling around her body like serpents.

A faint breeze stirred, rising from the energy fluctuating within her.

Then, as if at the right moment, she lifted her head.

Her blue eyes were still the same, but this time… a streak of violet lightning flickered within them.

The simulated Yumeji narrowed his eyes slightly at her.

And in the next instant—

Swish!

She vanished.

No, not vanished.

Her speed… had become absurdly fast.

The simulated Yumeji hadn't even had time to react when—

Swish!

She reappeared right beside him, so close they were practically touching.

A smug smirk played on Kiana's lips.

"Huh…?"

Boom!!

A thunderous punch, carrying the full force of gravity and electricity, smashed into the simulated Yumeji's stomach.

BAM!!

He was sent flying, his body spinning through the air like a broken puppet before crashing violently into the far wall of the room.

The wall shattered.

Dust billowed up.

A massive crater formed in the concrete—a remnant of the sheer impact.

The simulated Yumeji slumped down, half-buried in debris.

He groaned, blood trickling from his lips before he coughed up a large mouthful.

Of course, the blood wasn't real—it was merely data, just like everything else in this room.

But even so, the pain he felt was entirely genuine.

Or rather, the sense of existence he had at this moment felt completely real.

All the data in his simulated body screamed red alerts.

All the lines of code within this training room were processing millions of calculations about the damage that punch had inflicted.

If this were a game, his health bar would've been cut in half.

But instead of fear or anger, the simulated Yumeji…

…laughed.

At first, it was just a small chuckle.

Then a grin.

And finally, he burst out into full laughter.

"Hahaha... Hahaha!!"

What was this?

What was this feeling?

Joy?

Excitement?

No—it was something more than that.

What he felt right now…

…was pure satisfaction.

As a simulated entity—a mere artificial existence created solely for training purposes—perhaps he wasn't supposed to have these emotions.

But at this moment, standing before Kiana, watching the student he had trained so diligently finally ascend to a whole new level…

—He felt truly alive.

Yes.

If he had to compare, this feeling was probably the same as a teacher watching their once-troublesome student finally mature and achieve something great.

As his laughter faded, the simulated Yumeji lifted his gaze.

Before him, Kiana stood tall, staring back at him with that same confident smirk.

"Oh, my dear lady~" The simulated Yumeji propped himself up, eyes gleaming with amusement. "What's the name of that form?"

Kiana tilted her head slightly, as if considering it.

Then, she grinned.

"Kiana Lightning Mode."

A name so ridiculously simple it was almost laughable.

Yet, somehow, it suited her perfectly.

The simulated Yumeji chuckled, shrugging.

"Hmm, I won't comment on your naming sense."

Then he stood up, gripping his sword tightly as a faint blue glow enveloped the blade like a shimmering aura.

"Shall we begin?" He asked, his gaze sharp. "Round 8."

Kiana smirked. "Yeah, let's start already."

She cracked her knuckles, lightning coiling around her body.

"You made me wait too long back there."

He nodded, raising his sword in front of him before activating Boost—enhancing his entire body and reflexes to their limits.

This was no longer just a regular sparring match.

—This round would be the final test.

—And the simulated Yumeji would not hold back.

****

The final battle erupted with the intensity of a mythological clash.

Like a duel between dragons and tigers, the very air within the training room compressed and shattered as Kiana and the simulated Yumeji's attacks collided.

Fists clashed against fists, weapons against weapons, and the shockwaves from their battle caused the ground beneath them to crack and cave in.

BAM!

Their punches struck each other's faces with such force that their cheeks swelled and their lips bled.

But instead of showing pain or anger, both of them…

…were smiling.

That was a satisfied smile.

A smile laced with streaks of blood.

At present, none of them spoke; they were simply immersed in the thrill of battle, their laughter echoing in the air.

Yumeji Replica's amber eyes widened as he thrust his sword forward, channeling energy along the blade until it spiraled like a drill.

SLASH!

In an instant, lightning flashed around Kiana, and she abruptly vanished from Yumeji Replica's sight. In truth, she had merely lowered herself with an electric-fast motion, ducking under his attack before planting a hand on the ground and launching a kick upward.

Her shoe slammed hard into Yumeji's elbow, forcing him to drop his sword.

Thud!

Slash!

Yumeji's blade fell, embedding itself into the ground right next to Kiana. The residual storm swirling around its edge left a small cut on her cheek.

But she had no time to care. Without hesitation, she flipped upside down, supporting herself on her hands before bending her legs and springing up with a powerful kick straight into Yumeji Replica's chin, sending him soaring into the air.

And as he was still hanging midair, Kiana swiftly repositioned herself.

Zap!

With a crackling burst, she accelerated again.

In Lightning Mode, Kiana's speed reached Mach 3—roughly 1000 meters per second.

With that insane velocity, she shot toward Yumeji Replica and delivered another kick, sending him flying even higher—this time, straight into the ceiling.

Boom!

The training room's ceiling trembled as Yumeji Replica's body crashed into it.

Smoke and embers billowed around. Kiana furrowed her brows slightly before swiftly shifting her position.

Boom!

The floor behind her exploded as if someone had just thrown a bomb at it. Kiana immediately recognized this attack.

Yumeji had a unique technique—any small stone he threw could explode like a bomb. Since this was ingrained in her memory, it made sense that Yumeji Replica would also use it. After all, he was a simulation based on Kiana's own recollections of the real Yumeji.

Of course, Yumeji Replica's personality depended entirely on Kiana's subjective impression of the real deal.

Crackle!

A sizzling noise echoed. But instead of Kiana's signature purple lightning, what appeared was a crimson flash.

Yumeji Replica had now entered a speed-boosted state, transforming his red aura into blazing red lightning.

He unleashed a flurry of rapid punches and kicks toward Kiana. However, with her current reflexes in Lightning Mode, she dodged them effortlessly.

Seeing this, Yumeji Replica quickly lowered his center of gravity, gathering power in his legs before launching himself forward with a flying kick—his speed now matching that of a bullet.

Kiana responded immediately.

She raised her metal baseball bat—Kaslana's iron bat—and coated it with the conceptual power (Hyoui-Ryoku) of Neko-Charm, bracing to block the attack.

Boom!!

The kick was so powerful that it pushed Kiana back even while she was defending, tearing apart the ground beneath her feet in the process.

As soon as the impact lessened, Kiana instantly blinked away, causing Simulated Yumeji, who had just finished his kick, to glance around in search of her.

Then, in that very moment, he tilted his body to the left and crossed his arms in defense.

SWOOSH!

Kiana, who had reappeared to Yumeji's right, swung her bat in a perfect arc, aiming straight for him—but he managed to block it.

Immediately afterward, Simulated Yumeji skillfully threw an uppercut, launching Kiana away. His data-formed arms showed clear signs of bruising from the impact, but he ignored it and kept his eyes locked on Kiana, the one he had just sent flying.

Kiana, who had been knocked into a corner of the ceiling, spread out her limbs to anchor herself and prevent a fall. Both of them, their gazes meeting midair, shared a grin of exhilaration as they reveled in the battle.

And then, the two—whose speed allowed them to step into the world of bullets—charged at each other once more.

—The roar of thunder echoed like the battle cries of the gods on the battlefield.—

The training room had almost entirely lost its original form. Walls crumbled, the floor cracked apart, and the air compressed and exploded with each step the two warriors took.

"BOOM!!"

Simulated Yumeji threw a punch, but Kiana had vanished before his fist could connect. A flash of lightning flickered—her speed was beyond comprehension, so fast that space itself seemed to warp with every movement.

"SWOOSH!!"

In an instant, Kiana was behind Simulated Yumeji, her leg swinging down in a divine arc, as if she were the lightning descending from the heavens.

"BANG!!"

Yumeji crossed his arms to block, but the impact sent him skidding back dozens of meters, leaving deep cracks in the ground. His palms throbbed with pain, but a grin still lingered on his lips.

"You're faster now, Kiana."

Kiana flicked her hair back, a proud smirk forming.

"Hmph, of course! Don't you dare underestimate this lady!"

She slammed her baseball bat onto the ground—lightning surged through the weapon, scorching the floor beneath it. Her sky-blue eyes gleamed amidst the dust-filled battlefield.

"This time, don't even think about blocking it, you bastard Yumeji!"

"Oh?"

At the same time—both figures disappeared.

No, to be precise, they had moved—so fast that the naked eye could no longer follow.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

A series of shockwaves erupted as their attacks clashed. The sheer force of their impacts created small whirlwinds, sending debris flying in every direction. Though only a simulated entity, Yumeji was in no way inferior to Kiana.

A devastating punch came crashing down, but Kiana slipped past it and countered with a swing of her bat.

"WHAM!"

Kiana's steel baseball bat struck Yumeji's arm, sending him soaring into the air. Yet, even mid-flight, he twisted his body and retaliated with a lightning-fast roundhouse kick.

"BAM!"

This time, Kiana couldn't dodge. The sweeping kick pushed her back, her back slamming hard into the distant wall. A massive crack spread out from the point of impact.

Yumeji's simulation landed on the ground, exhaling a long breath. His body showed signs of damage from the data, but his face still glowed with excitement.

"Come on, Kiana! Get up!"

From amidst the rubble, Kiana lifted her head. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, but instead of discomfort, she smiled.

"I've been up for a while now!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Kiana disappeared from Yumeji's line of sight.

A bolt of violet-blue lightning tore through the air.

—Her speed had reached a whole new level!

Yumeji's simulation immediately pulled back, raising his arm to defend, but—

"BAM!"

A powerful punch landed square on his face before he could even react!

Yumeji's simulation was knocked backward, but in that moment, he smiled—

—Because he knew this was the final test he wanted for this girl.

The battle continued.

****

Though their battle wasn't as fast as the Speedsters in comic books, their speed was extremely fast, making it impossible for Theresa, who was sitting in the control room, to keep up.

Theresa felt like her head was buzzing as if being constantly struck by hundreds of battle drums.

"BAM! BAM! BAM!"

Shockwaves continued to erupt, tearing the air in the training room. The monitoring screen in front of Theresa was full of overlapping blurry streaks—the speed of Kiana and Yumeji's simulation had exceeded the system's ability to track them.

She clenched her hands to cover her ears, trying to reduce the ringing in her head from the explosions, but her bright blue eyes remained glued to the screen. The scene before her looked like a destructive whirlwind.

"Kiiiiiiiiiii!"

The air friction made a piercing scream, as if the room itself was groaning under excessive strain. Tiny explosions erupted like fireworks every time a punch, kick, or strike collided.

Theresa swallowed hard.

"Are they fighting, or are they trying to destroy the entire training room?"

She tried to focus on tracking them, but even as a seasoned Valkyrie, her eyes couldn't keep up with the speed of the two.

Suddenly—

Everything went silent.

All the explosions, the howling winds, even the electrical currents running wild in the air ceased.

Theresa immediately looked up.

On the screen, Kiana and Yumeji's simulation stood still.

The space around them still echoed with the remnants of the battle. A thick smoke rose from the ground that had been torn apart, and the light from the cracks in the walls flickered like sparks after a terrible collision.

Kiana propped her baseball bat on the ground, breathing heavily, but her eyes shone like fire.

Yumeji's simulation stood opposite her, a streak of data-blood running from the corner of his mouth. But on his face—was a grin just as excited as Kiana's.

"You're pretty good, lady of Kaslana family."

Kiana smirked.

"Well, that makes it all worth it, doesn't it?"

The two stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Seeing this, Theresa glared.

"Are you two completely out of your minds now?!"

****

Kiana narrowed her eyes slightly, silently observing the simulated Yumeji.

She knew, based on her memories of the real Yumeji, that he still had one card left to play. She could feel it—a mysterious power, deeper than what he had shown. And as the simulated Yumeji stepped back to create distance, she immediately realized:

("He's going to use it.")

Normally, Kiana could have rushed in to attack right now. But she didn't.

He had given her time to reach Lightning Mode earlier, so this time, she would let him prepare his ultimate move as well.

The simulated Yumeji closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The air around him suddenly became thick, as if an invisible hand was squeezing the space. Blue-white sparks of electricity began to dance around him, screeching loudly.

His amber eyes glowed fiercely—

And then, they gradually turned turquoise.

His power was flaring—or so it should have been.

But at that moment—

Everything in the simulated Yumeji's field of vision froze. Not figuratively, but literally: Time stopped.

In that absolute silence, a cold and authoritative voice resounded in his mind.

<>

<>

A small figure appeared in the thick fog, its turquoise-blue eyes shining like two beacons through the endless night.

Even as an A.I., simulated Yumeji felt a chill creep down his spine.

And then—

Time moved again.

"What—?"

Before he could react, the blue-white lightning bolts he had just released suddenly turned back, like a pack of ferocious beasts turning against their master. A giant pillar of lightning struck down from nowhere, engulfing his body.

"AAAAAAGH!!"

The intense pain came like a divine judgment.

When the lightning dissipated, the simulated Yumeji was completely in tatters. His clothes were torn, his skin was scorched, and his body was paralyzed and unable to move.

He lay on his back on the floor, panting, feeling as if his HP bar had just dropped straight into the red zone.

From afar, Kiana screamed, but he only raised his hand to stop her.

He was just a simulation, a worthless copy. But having someone care about him like this... really made him happy.

A small smile appeared on his lips.

"I'll complete this training to the end… even if it's a fake."

Although he wasn't sure if the real Yumeji was a good person, he believed that he wouldn't harm anyone—especially Kiana. After all, her memories were what made him.

He struggled to stand up, looking straight at Kiana.

"Let's finish this."