Vill-V was undeniably brilliant.
As the ultimate MVP with a two hundred percent participation rate in the original story's plot, whether dead or alive, she was always carrying the team.
Though she hadn't undergone the MANTIS surgery yet and couldn't freely partition her mind, her dissociative identity disorder had already begun to manifest—and seemed to be growing more severe with time.
She was a genius.
And she was supremely confident.
Ever since discovering the hidden scourge of Honkai beneath the calm surface of human society, she had been tracking it down, eventually leading her to Fire Moth.
So, she'd had her eyes on Fire Moth for a long time.
She wasn't sure why, but some time ago, that Sky Screen had started appearing. Still, if she had to do it herself, she could've created something similar using her own methods—yeah, like magic.
Because of that, she wasn't entirely convinced by the Sky Screen's authenticity.
Especially when it started openly discussing concepts like Honkai—the content was fascinating, no doubt, but every one of her personalities had their own strong opinions.
After some internal discussion, they all agreed: first, see what Fire Moth was up to, then consider the rest. What if this was just an elaborate trap? She couldn't afford to take the bait too easily.
She'd been monitoring movements within various nations too.
Her biggest issue was that truly classified intel was either impossible to hack or would instantly expose her if she tried.
The hideout in Sundown Alley was the one she'd used the longest so far.
But now, she felt it was time to abandon it.
Even though she had to admit, Kiana did bear some resemblance to the girl exposed in the Sky Screen—what was she called again? The Herrscher of Finality?
But a Herrscher? Come on, how likely was that?
Vill-V was convinced that Honkai was Fire Moth's creation. And you, Kiana, must be one of their test subjects.
Heck, it all made sense now.
The Sky Screen was just a propaganda tool to promote their experiments.
All to build up their influence.
"Trying to play god, are they?"
"Just watch—I'll steal your 'god' right out from under you. Let's see what you can do then!"
"…"
So, she'd found her opening.
That's right.
It was Kiana.
She would get close to Kiana, turn her against Fire Moth, make her see how despicable they truly were.
Rescue Kiana from the clutches of those born-evil snakes.
With that, she quickly drafted a plan.
Time to make a move.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Crash!
Kiana was attacked.
The whole nation of Shenzhou was shaken.
Higher-ups were furious, and a storm of consequences swept through instantly.
Even though afterward, Kiana seemed unbothered—not pressing charges, not saying a word—that didn't mean anyone could just pretend it never happened.
Thankfully, Kiana genuinely didn't seem to mind. No hard feelings. Her mood was even pretty good.
So, she wasn't about to turn into the Herrscher of Finality.
But even so—
The mastermind had to be uncovered.
Everyone involved had to be brought to justice.
Otherwise, if it happened once, it could happen again.
To pull a suicide attack in Shenzhou, a place known worldwide for its public safety?
They must have a death wish.
What? Stay calm?
How am I supposed to stay calm?
Justification?
The Herrscher of Finality is justification enough.
So, Sapphire City went under full lockdown.
Every detail about that sports car—where it was made, how it was used, which highway it took, where it came from, who it belonged to—was thoroughly investigated and laid bare.
Then, it wasn't just Sapphire City.
Every relevant department at the provincial and central government levels was working through the night, racing to piece together the whole story.
But!
Unexpectedly…
It was nothing like the organized, premeditated attack everyone assumed.
The driver hadn't even switched cars—he'd gone in himself.
Absolutely insane.
And even crazier—his identity turned out to be the grandson of a former big shot. You'd think if you wanted someone dead, you'd hire a professional—who in their right mind goes themselves? Not only did he do it, he was fully conscious of his actions. He just never expected Kiana to stop his car dead in its tracks and reflect the impact back at him—ending his life on the spot.
Honestly, these spoiled rich kids—some are clever, some are just downright foolish. Every family has its black sheep.
You could almost sympathize.
But!
Did he really think he could just run someone over, call in some favors, and throw money at the problem?
What era does he think this is?
Or maybe he never planned on coming back at all.
Did he actually intend to accomplish something?
But for heaven's sake, did he have to be this reckless?
"This…"
When higher-ups saw the investigation report, they were just—speechless. [Cue mental image: subway, old man, phone.]
Frowns all around.
They passed it along for others to see.
Everyone had the same reaction.
"What do you think we should do?"
"Collective punishment. We warned them—no exceptions. If he couldn't keep his grandson in line, that's on him."
"…"
Even though they were all old comrades, and even political rivals who'd fought for years had some bond left—he just had to become the example.
Shoot the one who sticks out—who else would you target?
Back at Kiana's place—
After returning that day, she hadn't said a word. Her mom only found out about the assassination attempt later from online news.
But thankfully, with Elysia around, she didn't have to worry too much about her daughter's mental state.
And from what she could see, her daughter was perfectly fine—eating well, sleeping well, enjoying life like always.
Finally, an official representative arrived to brief Kiana on the progress of the investigation.
Kiana's mom invited him into the living room.
Kiana dawdled her way downstairs, with Elysia following close behind.
When the official saw them, he couldn't help but feel a little starstruck—after all, the Herrscher of Finality and Origin were practically celebrities these days.
Where some people held reservations, others admired them.
Some had criticisms, but many were inspired.
The official was only in his thirties, still young—they'd picked him for his earnest, straightforward demeanor.
Better a little slow than too clever for your own good.
Besides, this was just a messenger job.
How hard could it be?
"So, what's the story?" Kiana took a seat. She had her guesses, but she wanted to hear the official version.
She didn't really care about the outcome or the truth.
But they owed her an explanation, didn't they?
"Miss Kiana, this was indeed a failure on our part."
Right off the bat, the young official led with an apology.
Elysia looked surprised.
But Kiana remained calm. "Go on."
"According to our investigation, the attacker was a 19-year-old male, the grandson of a former high-ranking official."
"…"
The official handed copies of the report to both Elysia and Kiana as he spoke.
"The attack was entirely his own decision. From planning to execution, right up to the end, he acted alone."
"No one else was aware of his actions."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.