—Quantum Sea, moments earlier
War. Flames. Ashes. Collapse.
The immense surge of Honkai energy scattered in all directions.
Space itself began to unravel.
The Queen fell, and the red-haired warrior who dared defy the divine slowly sank into the depths of the Quantum Sea...
'Kiana... this is all I can do for you now.'
'When you awaken, the world will no longer be the same.'
'But please, don't give up.'
'Use your own strength… to reshape this imperfect world… into the one you dream of!'
This is a world plagued by Honkai.
Honkai is the will of the planet — the root of all disasters.
It manifests as natural calamities: volcanic eruptions, raging storms, earthquakes, plagues… any catastrophe imaginable.
It corrupts human beings, turning them into terrifying creatures called Honkai Zombies — mindless puppets of the Honkai will, designed to spread chaos and destruction across human civilization.
It can also fuse with other lifeforms to create Honkai Beasts — silicon-based monstrosities clad in nearly indestructible armor. These creatures appear randomly across the world and attack indiscriminately.
And when the Honkai will reaches its peak… when the energy reaches its highest form… a catastrophic being is born — a Herrscher.
Herrschers are overwhelmingly powerful, each wielding total control over a particular element or concept of nature.
They can tear open the sky, shatter the earth, and reduce entire civilizations to ash with a single glance.
In short — all malice toward human civilization is but the embodiment of the Honkai will.
Not long ago, the most devastating Honkai event erupted.
The Herrscher of the Void has awakened. The Queen descended.
And the world was consumed in flames.
The peace of yesterday vanished in smoke.
At the height of the battle, Murata Himeko, captain of the floating warship Hyperion (the very name that inspired Kagura Hitomi's flagship)
Donned the crimson power suit Vermilion Knight: Eclipse and used the Honkai-neutralizing serum Godslayer Lance — a drug powerful enough to suppress a Herrscher.
"That's .... my final lesson..... to you..."
That the last thing she remember after ejecting the drug to Kiana.
She succeeded in awakening the consciousness of the girl possessed by the Herrscher of the Void: Kiana.
But the cost was steep.
Himeko, having pushed herself to the very limit, collapsed from exhaustion and sank deep into the Quantum Sea...
"Ugh…"
No one knew how long had passed, but finally, Himeko's consciousness began to return.
She slowly shifted her body and struggled to open her tired eyes.
From the sensation alone, she could tell she was lying on someone's lap — a lap pillow.
She didn't know why, but it felt strangely comforting.
But… wait.
Wasn't I just fighting the Herrscher of the Void?
I remember… in the end… I collapsed, right?
Did I… die?
Is this... heaven?
"Ah! You're awake!"
A clear and unfamiliar voice entered her ears.
"Whew, that's a relief!"
Still dazed, Himeko rubbed her aching head and tried to bring her blurry vision into focus.
"Huh?!"
The moment she saw the girl before her clearly, Murata Himeko's eyes narrowed sharply.
A surge of hostility erupted from her gaze, accompanied by a terrifying killing intent — like the last blaze of a candle roaring to life one final time.
"W-Wait, what?!"
Kagura, who had been quietly offering the lap pillow, jumped in shock, stunned by Himeko's sudden outburst of murderous intent.
"W-What's wrong?!"
But the hostility vanished as quickly as it appeared.
After a brief pause, Himeko softened and showed a look of apology.
"Ah… sorry. Silver hair and golden eyes… I mistook you for someone else…"
"Um…?"
Kagura scratched her head in confusion.
Silver hair and golden eyes?
Did she… mistake me for the Herrscher of the Void?
So this is the world of Honkai Impact 3rd, huh?
"I was fighting a Herrscher just now — a silver-haired, golden-eyed one," Himeko explained weakly, managing a smile. "So… yeah, sorry about that."
"Oh…" Kagura nodded. "I see."
So I really have crossed over into the Honkai universe.
"Well, your chest— I mean, your figure's way more… smaller than Kiana's, so I quickly realized you weren't her."
"ヽ(●-`Д´-)ノ HEY!"
"Hahaha, don't take it personally~"
Himeko chuckled softly. "Anyway, if I'm still alive, then that must mean… you saved me, didn't you? Thank you."
"No need to thank me. Just a coincidence," Kagura replied casually, brushing her silver hair behind her ear with a smile.
"I just arrived here too — saw you falling from the sky and figured I'd catch you on the way down."
Himeko tried to sit up but found her body extremely heavy, barely able to move.
With Kagura's help, she finally managed to get into a sitting position.
"By the way, I'm Murata Himeko — a Valkyrie who fights the Honkai. And you, little lady, what's your name?"
"I'm Kagura Hitomi. I come from the other side of the Quantum Sea," she answered with a grin. "I'm a traveler between worlds. So I guess we're not really from the same place. But you looked pretty beat up, so I just gave you a hand."
"Kagura Hitomi…" Himeko mulled the name over. "Thank you for helping me, Miss Kagura. Honestly, I thought I was a goner…"
"Yeah… I thought so too, to be honest." Kagura muttered under her breath — quietly enough that Himeko didn't hear.
"Hmm? Did you say something, Miss Kagura?"
"Nope, nothing important. Anyway, let's get you patched up first.
You're seriously hurt. Most people in your condition would be dead by now. What the heck did you do to get like this?"
"Hahaha… nothing much, really…" Himeko gave a strained laugh as she brushed back her fiery red hair. "Just… pushed myself a little too hard, I guess."
Kagura gently placed her palm against Himeko's body.
A soft red glow flowed from her hand — the power of the Reality Stone.
———————————————————————
[Reality Rewrite]
[Biological Tissue Restoration]
Good.
The Infinity Stones still work here.
At least I don't have to worry about being a powerless girl stranded in a war-torn dimension.
Now that Kagura had fully mastered the power of the Infinity Stones, using the Reality Stone to heal injuries was as easy for her as eating or drinking.
"By the way, Miss Himeko," Kagura said casually as she continued the treatment, "why don't you tell me about this world of yours?"
As she spoke, she smoothly laid out her fabricated backstory: "I'm a traveler from the Quantum Realm, passionate about collecting stories from different worlds.
I sometimes offer assistance in exchange for a bit of compensation, too!"
"I see…" Himeko watched in awe as her body rapidly regenerated.
Even her shattered Valkyrie armor — Crimson Knight: Eclipsed — was being restored by the red glow in Kagura's palm, returning to perfect condition like it had never been damaged.
And so, as Kagura continued healing her, Himeko shared the story of her world — her experiences, her battles, and the path that still lay ahead.
It was now confirmed: the world Kagura had crossed into through quantum travel was indeed the world of Honkai Impact 3rd.
Not long ago, the Herrscher of the Void had awakened, plunging the world into chaos.
Murata Himeko had fought the Herrscher to the very end, and in doing so, had successfully awakened the original consciousness of Kiana Kaslana (K-423) from deep within.
That was what finally brought an end — at least temporarily — to the disaster known as the Great Honkai Eruption.
"Miss Kagura, thank you. I feel so much better now."
Once the healing was complete, Himeko flexed her arms, amazed by how good she felt. "This power of yours is incredible! Is it some kind of advanced technology?"
"Ehehe~" Kagura stuck out her tongue playfully. "Se-cret~!"
Himeko chuckled. "Fair enough. I won't press you. After all, I'm the one being helped here."
"So, Miss Himeko," Kagura asked, brushing a lock of silver hair behind her ear, "what are your plans now? This place clearly isn't your original world. Getting back… won't be easy, will it?"
"No matter how hard it is, I have to go back."
Himeko's gaze turned resolute. "There are people I want to protect in my world. Memories I treasure. Things I refuse to give up. That's why… I have to return."
Staring at Himeko's unshakable strength and quiet kindness, Kagura let out a soft sigh.
"Well then, let me help you."
"Eh? Are you sure? You've already helped me so much…"
"Oh, it's fine!" Kagura waved it off with a grin. "I'm just traveling anyway. Consider it part of the adventure!"
"It might get dangerous, you know."
"Miss Himeko, you're underestimating me," Kagura replied with a smug look. "I can fight. Really well, actually!"
"Oh? Is that so? Doesn't exactly show."
"Heh, you'll see soon enough!" Kagura puffed up proudly, then added cheekily, "Oh, and one more thing — my help doesn't come for free!"
"Huh? Then… what kind of payment are you expecting?"
"Ehehe, that's a secret too! But don't worry, I won't ask for anything unreasonable."
Kagura winked. "Put simply, I just want a few souvenirs worth bringing home. That's all!"
Since this was the world of Honkai Impact 3rd, Kagura had a good idea of what resources she could collect:
Honkai energy, Stigmata, Valkyrie armor blueprints, black-tech innovations from anti-Honkai organizations like Schicksal and Anti-Entropy — all of it would be incredibly valuable back in the Marvel universe.
And if she could get her hands on a Divine Key, a relic from the Previous Era…
Well, that would be the jackpot.
"You really are a clever little fox," Himeko said with a sigh, folding her arms. "Alright then — looks like we'll be partners for a while. I'll be counting on you, Miss Kagura Hitomi."
"I'm glad we met, Miss Murata Himeko." Kagura smiled.
And so, deep within the Quantum Sea, Murata Himeko and Kagura Hitomi set off together — beginning their journey to find a way out of this strange and distorted space and return to the war-torn reality of the Honkai world...
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