Kiana and Lady Sirin were each other's halves.
Once bitter enemies who could not coexist, even their eventual compromise under Kiana's magnanimous concession resulted only in a shared existence while maintaining separate identities.
Thus, neither Kiana nor Sirin had ever been whole.
Until this moment, neither had ever experienced what it felt like to be whole, nor could they have imagined that the complete Kiana and Sirin would possess such immense power!
Kiana felt strength surging continuously within her, increasing at an almost eerie pace—but under these circumstances, it was undoubtedly beneficial.
"Hmph! Witness my might now!"
"Indeed, suddenly everything feels so effortless. In this state, we can win!"
"Foolish human, thank your Queen for her magnanimity!"
"Mm-hmm, thank you, Sirin."
On the same face, Kiana expressed sincere gratitude, causing Sirin to momentarily blush—truthfully, this seemed to be the first time since her creation that someone genuinely thanked her.
Sirin chalked it up to unfamiliarity and promptly dismissed the unusual sensation, focusing instead on charging alongside Kiana towards the distant Finality—for their victory!
Clang! The instant clash between Kiana and "Kiana" resulted in a stalemate, with knight's sword locked against twin palms.
Then, Kiana vanished instantly.
"Huh?"
For a brief moment, "Kiana" seemed disoriented before swiftly sidestepping just as the blade flashed past her face, slicing off a few strands of hair.
The descending sword abruptly swung forward, catching "Kiana" off guard and sending her flying.
"Thud!"
Observing "Kiana"'s haphazard defense, Kiana—or rather, Sirin—displayed a hint of disdain on her face:
"Hmph! So what if you can manipulate some spatial energy? Virtual Space is my domain, after all, Queen that I am!"
In the next instant, Kiana appeared in front of where "Kiana" had been sent reeling, mercilessly swinging her sword downward.
"Whoosh!"
The massive sword energy cleaved through the chaotic void, firmly pinning "Kiana" beneath its force.
With no other choice, "Kiana" raised both hands, channeling potent Honkai Energy to counteract the sword energy.
As two identical faces locked eyes, Kiana smiled, while the usually silent and reserved "Kiana" remained expressionless.
Suddenly, a golden speck of light coalesced between them and erupted explosively.
"Boom!!"
Kiana and "Kiana" were propelled apart, staring intently at each other from opposite ends.
Then, like twin streaks of golden radiance, they once again weaved through the dark chaos, causing devastation with every clash.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
"Hahaha, this power—this invincible might! What Finality or whatever—it's me, your Queen, who will be the end of you!"
"Sirin, something isn't right..."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"The surge in power seems... abnormal."
As a pure Herrscher, Sirin reveled solely in the unprecedented strength coursing through her body, but Kiana gradually sensed something amiss.
"No time for chatter. She's coming again—focus on the fight!"
"You're right."
Facing their formidable enemy, Kiana nodded in agreement and resolutely shifted her attention back to the adversary before them, dismissing these minor concerns.
"BOOM!!"
In another clash, greatsword met palms, their forces colliding intensely within the confined space.
Golden energy surged outward like waves from where they stood, causing the surrounding area to tremble incessantly, fragmenting and annihilating everything in its path.
Kiana's heterochromatic eyes—one gold, one red—locked with Sirin's emotionless golden gaze. Both Kiana and Sirin craved victory, while Finality remained impassive, seemingly unaffected by its own weakening state and relentless onslaught from its foes.
"Boom!"
Amidst this colossal surge of energy, the two combatants separated once more.
Kiana tightened her grip on the sword hilt, assuming a stance amidst swirling golden aura as she declared, "Sirin, please hold your ground against the conflicting abilities. I'm going all out to amplify the Taixuan Sword Qi's power!"
"What? Can it get even stronger?"
"The strength of our sword technique depends on our physical and mental limits. Right now, there's still room for improvement!"
"Yes! Give it everything you've got—let's obliterate her!"
The golden eyes on Kiana's face blazed with an even brighter radiance, mirroring Sirin's audacious grin. Simultaneously, the white flames on the greatsword intensified, its dormant presence surging boundlessly upward.
"Huff! Fu Hua-sensei, thank you for teaching me so much over these years. Now, bear witness to my victory!"
"Whoosh!"
An immense blast of sword energy was unleashed, engulfing the vast chaos-filled space in a wave of white light.
Kiana squinted, calming her internal ki flow, and watched as her doppelgänger resisted the sword energy, steadily retreating within the luminous glow. With renewed determination, Kiana charged forward, greatsword raised.
Time had no meaning within Virtual Space.
Kiana couldn't tell how long she'd been fighting for. She only knew that the Final Herrscher's tenacity far exceeded her imagination.
Even with Sirin's assistance, elevating her power to heights previously unimaginable, Kiana still struggled to fully suppress "herself."
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Her breath grew increasingly erratic, her heaving chest testifying to her exhaustion.
The skin at the base of her palms, where they met her fingers, had torn and healed countless times, and there was no telling how many wounds now marred her body. All Kiana felt was a mounting numbness both physically and mentally.
Although her Honkai Energy continued to mysteriously increase, as if an infinite reactor had suddenly ignited within her, mere Honkai Energy could not compensate for the toll on her body and consciousness.
It seemed like the limits of human endurance were right before her eyes.
"Sirin, can you hold out any longer?"
"...Hmph! Even if you fall, I won't!"
"It looks like we're reaching our breaking points, but do you think she has much energy left?"
"...I don't know." Sirin gritted her teeth, unwillingly.
She had set aside even her pride as the Queen of the Void to cooperate with Kiana, attaining unprecedented levels of power. Despite her relentless efforts—more so than during the entirety of the Second Major Honkai Eruption combined—the Final Herrscher's limits remained unfathomable.
"Is this monster truly invincible?!" Frustrated, Sirin unleashed countless Lances of Subspace to fend off the Final Herrscher's relentless pursuit.
Kiana was nearing her limit, and Sirin wasn't faring much better. Their situations were equally dire, no amount of stubborn denial could change that reality.
Suddenly, Kiana's crimson eyes flickered, showing signs of being overtaken by gold.
Her expression shifted, and with a panicked tone, Sirin blurted out, "Hey! You're not going to pass out now, are you?!"
"No! Not yet! I can still...keep draining power...I'll hold on until the very end, until we're certain she can be eliminated!"
"...Just use your ultimate attack! That move even I couldn't withstand!"
"I can't! We haven't seen any sign of weakness from her yet. Using it now might not secure victory in one strike!" Kiana firmly rejected the idea.
Her left eye, its color shifting rapidly, settled on a blazing red hue, emitting intense scarlet light. With sword raised, she charged forward.
Simultaneously, deep crimson cracks appeared on her left cheek, swiftly spreading down her fair, graceful neck and extending toward her body below.