Genius cannot be bound by common sense.
Many things that ordinary people deem impossible would, before a genius, become nothing more than: "Is that all?"
Ruan Mei was obsessed with the field of life sciences, and her accomplishments in this area had long surpassed the comprehension of most people.
With just a light touch, the spiral of life would reveal itself before her without reservation, and she could even modify it at will.
In her eyes, most forms of life held no secrets. Thus, her gaze turned toward the lofty Aeons above.
She began studying the Aeons.
But not long after this idea took form, she discovered an unfathomable girl near the galaxy where IX slumbered.
A girl tainted by the power of Nihility—yet she had not been swallowed by it. She had survived, and moreover, carried within her a power Ruan Mei had never seen before.
The small techniques that had always served her flawlessly failed completely when used on Kiana, for this girl was, in essence, not human.
If one had to describe her...
Ruan Mei thought that "an unascended Aeon" was a more fitting term for the strange and extraordinary girl she had found.
That thought greatly piqued her interest, and soon, Ruan Mei devoted most of her attention to Kiana.
It could be said that Kiana had become her most fascinating research subject. Whether it was the power of Nihility or what Ruan Mei called the power of Honkai—
Both were worth her time and effort.
...
"...What in the world is this?"
Name: Kiana (Weak)
Affiliation: Honkai
Talent: Authority of Finality, Nihility Pathstrider.
Skills: Phase Shuttle (Void), Power of the Saint, Gaze of the Abyss...
Finality Progress: 50%
Honkai Energy Concentration (Izumo): MAX.
Summary: Outside the world of Izumo, please use Honkai Energy with caution. Your existence will bring unpredictable changes to the surroundings.
Reaching forward and touching nothing but air, Kiana frowned at the sudden appearance of a panel before her, a faint sense of familiarity stirring within.
It wasn't an illusion.
Frowning, she explored the panel, finding both a shop and an inventory for storing items.
It was like a game inventory, its grid filled with various things. Among them, she spotted a photograph that stood out awkwardly among the weapons.
"What's this?"
Her heart skipped a beat. Hurriedly, she pulled out the small photograph, barely the size of her palm. It showed two girls—
Herself, and the one who had flashed briefly through her mind earlier.
She was smiling radiantly, embracing a shrine maiden whose smile held a hint of helplessness.
"Mei..."
Her fingertip brushed over the other girl's face in the photo. Her eyes stung slightly, and a strange, indescribable feeling welled in her chest.
To have hidden this photo here—it must have been something very important to her in the past.
Was the girl in the photo still alive?
Where was she now?
A faint confusion clouded her eyes as she gazed at the photograph under the moonlight, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
The next morning—
When Kiana woke up groggily, she instinctively checked her memo pad, ensuring she hadn't forgotten anything, then added a few new notes.
"Izumo, huh."
Scratching her head irritably, she realized she was feeling much better. After thinking for a while, her once-blank mind now held fragments of memory.
Not many, and not complete.
A world called 'Izumo.' She and the girl named Mei seemed to be friends.
Silently recording the clue, she resolved that when she reached Euphorion, she would find this 'Izumo' world—and the girl who had appeared in her memories.
"The city seems quieter now."
Robin had also risen early. Given the situation, she had slept uneasily, listening to the noises outside all night.
Seeing Kiana emerge from her room, Robin looked toward the world beyond the window, where the sun had not yet fully risen.
The sounds of gunfire and artillery seemed to have stopped.
For a long while, there was silence.
"Could it be they've run out of ammunition?"
Robin shook her head. "It's only been one night. Their weapon reserves can't be that limited."
"Then maybe... they managed to suppress the monsters?"
When Kiana mentioned that possibility, she couldn't help but feel something odd in her heart. "If they could calm down, set aside their grudges for a while, and organize a counterattack, it might not be impossible."
It wasn't an unlikely thought—but somehow, Kiana felt it wasn't very probable. Call it intuition.
Even now, she still hadn't figured out the pattern behind the appearance of the Honkai creatures. There was a persistent feeling that things weren't as simple as they seemed.
Of course, if people truly could unite and resist effectively, they would surely gain the upper hand against those monsters.
"There's still no new update from the IPC."
Robin sighed, masking the unease in her heart as she tried to sound lighthearted. "Then we shouldn't waste time. Let's head back for now. We can come again once we've properly prepared."
"You're right. Let's go."
Kiana didn't hesitate—this was something they'd already agreed on yesterday. Besides, Ruan had said she'd be returning to Kasbelina-VIII today.
The city was several times quieter than the day before.
Even when gunfire occasionally echoed in the distance, it was far away from where they walked.
Along the way, Kiana dealt with a few more Honkai creatures blocking their path. After half a day, she and Robin finally made it back to the IPC's outer camp.
The Honkai creatures seemed to be confined to that particular city. Once they followed the road out of town, they encountered nothing strange again.
That, at least, was good news.
After returning, Kiana and Robin parted ways for the time being. Once she had eaten and rested, Kiana's mind returned to what she cared about most.
She decided to gather some portable supplies, wait for Ruan's arrival, and then accompany her into the city to uncover the truth.
The truth...
"Surely it doesn't have anything to do with me, right?"
Holding that uneasy thought, Kiana stepped out, intending to ask around the camp to see if anyone knew more.
"The monsters inside the city? I'm just a regular staff member—I don't really know much about that. But don't worry, the IPC has already set up defensive lines and just finished evacuating most of the refugees."
"Thanks."
Most employees didn't seem to know any internal details. Maybe she should ask that fan of Robin's instead?
Yes, that seemed better.
His position was higher than a regular employee's—he should know a bit more.
With that thought, she took out her phone, sent Robin a quick message to check on her, then set out alone to find Kerr and ask about the situation.
But she hadn't walked far before spotting a familiar, unmistakably beautiful figure at the edge of the camp.
She wore a robe of ink-toned fabric with subtle pattern variations, her hair neatly pinned up and adorned with a plum blossom. Her face was graceful and serene—the refined poise of an Eastern beauty.
The moment Kiana saw her, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief. When she confirmed she wasn't imagining things, delight flashed across her face, and she hurried over.
Before Kiana could even speak, the elegant woman turned slightly toward her, unsurprised by her approach.
Her voice was as gentle and composed as her demeanor. "Perfect timing. I was just about to look for you."
"You arrived and didn't even tell me?"
Seeing someone familiar, Kiana instantly relaxed. Concern flickered across her face as she asked, "You came rushing over as soon as you saw the message yesterday? Did you even get any rest?"
Ruan Mei's movements were always discreet; to the public, she was almost a hermit-like figure.
Having spent so much time with her, Kiana had come to believe that Ruan Mei simply disliked wasting time communicating with people she found uninteresting.
"You know I've always been curious about the Honkai within you. It's rare to have such an opportunity."
At the mention of the Honkai, Kiana's expression grew serious. She thought of the situation in the city, her face darkening slightly with worry.
"I can confirm they're Honkai creatures. When I left that city this morning, I ran into quite a few along the road."
Ruan Mei already had a general grasp of the situation. She didn't speak much, only said, "If there's nothing else, come with me to take a look."
"No problem, Ruan! Wait for me—I'll go buy some supplies from the IPC to bring along."
"All right."
This world had nothing particularly special or remarkable about it—it was just an ordinary planet among many.
Not something that stirred much interest in her.
Yet it was precisely in such an ordinary world that Honkai creatures had appeared.
The more she studied it, the more curious she became about the Honkai within Kiana. She wanted to uncover the true essence and origin of that power.
Something about it intrigued her.
The living conditions on this planet were unremarkable—similar to those on the world where she lived in seclusion.
If the anomaly truly stemmed from Kiana's presence, then why hadn't any mysterious phenomena occurred back in her laboratory?
Was there something she had overlooked?
About twenty minutes later, Kiana came running back to Ruan Mei's side in a hurry.
Not wanting to keep her waiting, she seemed anxious, nearly jogging the entire way. When she finally arrived, she was slightly out of breath.
Stopping beside Ruan Mei, Kiana smiled brightly. "All done! Let's go!"
"Wait a moment."
Ruan Mei took out a delicate handkerchief and gently wiped the light sheen of sweat from Kiana's face. "There's no need to rush."
The focused tenderness in Ruan Mei's movements made Kiana blush faintly, even though she knew Ruan Mei was simply being considerate—and it wasn't even the first time she had done this.
"Maybe I was influenced by those Honkai creatures yesterday," Kiana said softly, her eyes meeting Ruan Mei's elegant features. "I suddenly remembered a few things—and some techniques for using Honkai Energy."
"I've stored all the supplies in my personal space. It's easy to access them anytime."
"Mm."
Ruan Mei didn't seem particularly interested in that detail. When she worked, she focused completely on the task at hand.
After tidying Kiana's appearance, she lifted Kiana's chin slightly, scanning her face carefully, leaving no spot unchecked. Only when she was satisfied did she release her and step back a little.
Kiana, long accustomed to such behavior, didn't find it strange. "So, shall we go now?"
Ruan Mei gave a soft hum of agreement and began walking toward the faintly visible outline of the city alongside her. As they went, she casually handed Kiana something.
"This is for you."
Taking the object, Kiana blinked in surprise. "Ah, you brought pastries?"
"I happened to pass by a vendor and bought two portions. They're a bit different from the ones we've had before—a unique flavor. I thought you might like them."
Seeing food, Kiana grinned happily. "Hehe, I knew it—you're always thinking of me, Ruan!"
Delighted, she opened the package and tried a piece.
"Mm, so it's a savory pastry. You got this here on this planet, right? The aroma's a bit like the local dishes I've tried—it has the same flavor profile. No wonder you said it was unique."
Aside from her passion for life sciences, Ruan Mei had a few personal hobbies—and tasting pastries was one of her rare indulgences.
She nodded lightly, acknowledging Kiana's words. Since they were still far from their destination, she changed the subject. "You mentioned you'd met a new friend earlier. Why haven't I seen her?"
Could the new variable she'd noticed be related to this new friend of Kiana's?
Ruan Mei was silently pondering the possible cause of the anomaly.
"Yeah, her name's Robin. Don't worry, I didn't just leave without telling her—I was chatting with her on the phone earlier. She's resting in the camp right now."
Kiana brightened up as she spoke, clearly happy to talk about her new acquaintance. "She's a singer from the Family. Her singing is really beautiful."
"Harmony?"
To Ruan Mei, 'beautiful singing' was trivial information. Compared to modern melodies, she preferred the elegance of traditional opera.
"Yes. Yesterday, when we were ambushed in the city, she used the power of Harmony to help us."
Although that Harmony power had quickly disrupted the delicate balance between the two forces within her—
Nothing can be rebuilt without first being broken.
Now, she actually felt better than ever.
"Because of a few delays, we had to stay in the city overnight. She was probably monitoring the situation the entire time, so she didn't get any sleep."
"So, you were attacked after entering the city yesterday?"
Ruan Mei precisely caught the key point in Kiana's words. Having known each other for over a year, they both understood how to communicate efficiently.
Ruan Mei had no interest in the irrelevant details. What she wanted was to uncover the reason behind the emergence of Honkai creatures here.
What had triggered it?
How had these beings been born?
"Is that what you're curious about?"
Kiana blinked, realizing what Ruan Mei was asking. She'd originally planned to bring it up later—but since Ruan Mei asked now, she didn't mind explaining. "Robin and I entered the city with a transport convoy yesterday. Along the way, we were ambushed by an unidentified armed group."
Although she knew that wasn't what Ruan Mei truly wanted to hear, she still described the background first—then moved on to what mattered.
"Here—feel it for yourself."
She extended her hand, knowing Ruan Mei had the ability to perceive a person's state through touch.
Ruan Mei stopped walking and, without another word, placed her fingers lightly on Kiana's wrist. Normally, she could grasp another's condition instantly with just a touch—but Kiana's body was different. There was a natural firewall that prevented intrusion. Even when Kiana willingly relaxed her mind, it still took a few seconds of preparation.
"The balance has been broken."
After a few breaths, understanding flickered across Ruan Mei's face. The two powers within Kiana were inherently incompatible, something she'd always been acutely aware of.
When she had first met Kiana, the girl had been on the verge of death—unconscious from the instability between those two forces. It was Ruan Mei who had taken her back and spent time stabilizing the conflict until Kiana could awaken fully.
"The power of Harmony was well-intentioned," Kiana sighed softly, "but it accidentally disrupted the balance between the two forces. And then... I used Honkai Energy again."
She exhaled, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "I don't know if the appearance of those creatures has anything to do with those two events."