She was now quite curious about Izumo's condition. Her memory of it remained from after she had become a Herrscher.
At that time, the system seemed to have issued a new prompt, but unfortunately, she hadn't been in any state to pay attention to it.
The system didn't have a recording function either.
A world that had been completely assimilated by the Honkai.
Would it be any different?
There were also those fragmented memories of leaving Izumo in a daze when she had just awakened. Under the influence of the power of Nihility, she hadn't been truly conscious, moving entirely on instinct.
"What an incredible thought."
Kiana hesitated to speak, then smiled bitterly and shook her head, thinking to herself that this was, after all, the mess she had left behind.
Izumo wasn't like any other place.
It had been her first foothold after arriving in this world. People always had special feelings for their firsts, and Kiana was no exception.
Moreover, she still had regrets. Not to mention Raiden Mei, who was born and raised in Izumo, and perhaps others who might have survived?
The monotonous voyage continued for another three days.
The farther they traveled in the direction Kiana had indicated, the heavier the atmosphere became. They could now see with the naked eye a pitch-black sun hanging in space.
And two distinctive planets.
One was Takamagahara, the other—Izumo.
Relying on her perception of the Honkai, Kiana successfully returned here. Amidst the boundless sea of stars, she found Izumo and Takamagahara once again.
Upon reaching their destination, Kiana's heart sank completely. Throughout the three-day journey, they hadn't encountered a single soul—nor had she sensed anyone else tainted with Honkai energy as she was.
The ship's scanners also detected no signs of life.
"Is that the place you mentioned?"
Kiana's destination was finally in sight—a planet both dangerous and extraordinary.
Even from afar, Robin could faintly feel the terrifying presence of that world.
A gray mist-like substance shrouded the planet's atmosphere. From a distance, it appeared as nothing more than a dim, ashen sphere.
And those mists weren't constant.
They would surge and ripple every so often, as though alive.
It was Robin's first time seeing such a planet. She was deeply astonished. Could this too be the influence of Nihility?
It was as if the planet itself was breathing.
She had heard that the power of Abundance could breathe life into planets—but could Nihility...?
No, that made no sense. Nihility and the vivification of worlds were opposites.
It was sheer luck if it didn't render everything dead and still.
"Yes, that gray planet is the Izumo I've been searching for all along. The dimly glowing one beside it is the world Izumo called Takamagahara."
"The universe truly is wondrous. I never thought I'd see such a sight with my own eyes."
Robin couldn't help but sigh.
Few ever came this close to the realm of Nihility. The Aeon of Nihility's power was both dangerous and mysterious—something humanity had yet to truly grasp.
"If you want to talk about wonders, isn't Penacony, the world of dreams, even more marvelous?"
"Penacony... yes, you're right. Penacony is the planet of festivities. Its dream realm is indeed fascinating. Are you interested in it?"
Kiana paused, then politely declined, "If I get the chance, I think I'll visit Penacony someday."
Before Robin could even extend the invitation, she was gently turned down. Still, she didn't mind—she knew Kiana wasn't in the mood for such things right now.
"Then you must tell me in advance when you do."
"Haha, don't worry. When I go to Penacony to broaden my horizons, I won't forget to bring my guide along."
As they chatted, the ship reached an appropriate position. Going any farther would deviate from their course—and be far more dangerous.
They didn't land on Takamagahara.
That place, too, was full of unknowns and peril.
"Still nothing..."
Kiana pressed her lips together, unable to hide the disappointment and worry on her face. They had reached Izumo's orbit, yet she could still sense no trace of anyone's presence.
Raiden Mei was not nearby.
No one was.
Had they left?
Or...
"Don't be sad. Maybe... maybe your friend knows you're not here and is searching for you too?"
"Don't worry. I won't lose hope."
If she couldn't find Mei in Euphorion, then all she could do was place her hopes on the Charmony Festival.
She could only pray that she hadn't altered that part of the story—that the person she most wanted to find would still attend the Charmony Festival.
Kiana took a deep breath, suppressing her disappointment at finding no one, then turned to Robin. "The situation below is extremely harsh. I'll need you to monitor the ship and be ready to pick me up later."
Was she really going down there?
Staring at the strange planet that seemed capable of devouring everything, Robin hesitated. But when she met Kiana's determined gaze, she could only nod reluctantly.
After spending time with her, Robin understood how deep Kiana's attachment to this planet ran.
"If you run into danger, don't push yourself. Come back immediately."
"I'll definitely come back safely."
After saying her goodbyes, Kiana steeled her mind and began slowly descending toward Izumo.
No matter how extreme the environment, it was nothing to her.
What she truly feared was relapsing into that state again—after finally escaping Nihility's influence, she didn't want to revert the moment she returned.
But she had to come back.
If not now, she would eventually. Sooner or later, she would have to return to uncover the truth of Izumo.
Once, Izumo and Takamagahara had been locked in an eternal waltz. Now, on this desolate world, that endless struggle still continued.
On one side was Nihility. On the other, Honkai.
The Honkai energy here had grown terrifyingly strong, yet the process of assimilation showed no sign of stopping.
The Honkai's purpose was to completely absorb all energy on this planet and rewrite every rule into the image of the Honkai.
It would not stop until everything was transformed.
But Nihility's power was infinite.
The two forces were locked in a strange, bug-like stalemate—a grotesque equilibrium.
Only the increasingly volatile Honkai energy, capable of erupting in an instant to engulf the entire galaxy, could convey how horrifying this conflict had become.
To Kiana's surprise, despite everything, the Honkai energy within Izumo had never once spread beyond the planet.
And that made it all the more terrifying.
If, one day, the balance were to break...
Izumo would explode like a bomb.
Suppressing the impulse to transform into her Herrscher form, Kiana frowned deeply. Exposed to this environment, she could see corrosion marks creeping across her own skin.
That alone showed how dense the energy here was.
After half an hour, she finally set foot once more upon the planet's surface.
Above her stretched a sunless, rain-gray sky. Below her feet lay vast stretches of old, crumbling structures—remnants of a civilization long gone.
No signs of humanity remained.
But Honkai creatures still roamed.
They appeared to be a new breed—completely different from any she had ever encountered before.
It was different from Kasbelina-VIII.
As Kiana walked here, none of the Honkai creatures attacked her. Even without transforming into her Herrscher form, in this state she possessed absolute control over the Honkai energy of this planet.
"...What is that?"
On this world, she sensed something enormous—something so vast that it was impossible to ignore.
Its size... was at least that of a continent.
And its location...
Seemed to be within the ocean.
What was strange was that Kiana also felt a faint sense of familiarity, even a natural affection toward this massive Honkai entity she had yet to see.
A Honkai Beast, perhaps?
Only a creature of that kind could possibly grow to such a colossal size.
"Judgment-class? Or maybe..."
Kiana could also feel that the creature, this enormous being, was silently watching her in return.
This Honkai Beast was strong.
Her expression changed several times. It must have noticed her presence the moment she returned to Izumo.
Should she go and meet it?
A creature this powerful likely possessed intelligence.
If she could tame it...
As her body gradually adapted to the planet's overwhelming Honkai energy, the discomfort began to fade.
As for Nihility—she felt none of its influence this time.
Perhaps because she had not transformed into her Herrscher form, she was not yet in complete control of the planet.
After some hesitation, Kiana decided to go to that oceanic region and see what exactly this being was.
Whether communication was possible.
Once she made up her mind, she swiftly approached the area where she had sensed the creature.
Its size was staggering.
More than an hour passed, yet it had not moved at all—as if asleep.
But that was only an illusion.
It was still watching her from the shadows.
And when Kiana decided to come seek it out, she sensed something—emotions emanating from the creature.
Joy.
Pure, unrestrained excitement.
By the time she reached the coastline and closed the distance, she felt a non-hostile psychic force enveloping her, attempting to influence her mind.
Since there was no malice in it, Kiana hesitated only briefly before accepting the mental contact.
Then, her vision went dark.
She found herself in a consciousness space.
Before she could react, a trembling, excited female voice reached her ears.
"Master..."
The voice didn't sound accustomed to speaking. The tone was elegant, the voice itself pleasant, but the rhythm of her speech was strange—like someone who had only just learned human language.
That word—Master—sent a chill down Kiana's spine. She had no interest whatsoever in being called that.
She looked around, but saw no one. Kiana realized it must be the Honkai Beast speaking. "Who are you?"
Her perfectly normal question made the voice sound aggrieved. "Have you forgotten? I am your familiar."
"Wait—did you just say you're my familiar?"
Kiana froze, thoughts racing. The title Master must have been because of her identity as the Herrscher of Finality.
A familiar?
Her familiar?
How was that possible? She had no memory of such a thing.
Could it have happened while she was unconscious, under the influence of Nihility?
"I am your familiar," the disembodied voice repeated with conviction.
Shocked, Kiana quickly checked her system—but found nothing recorded.
Yet the sense of familiarity she felt was unmistakably real.
"My familiar...?"
When did I ever have a familiar?
The fact stood before her. Whether she liked it or not, she could only accept it. There was no way to return or refuse.
And this familiar was powerful.
The Honkai energy she could faintly sense from it had already surpassed by countless times that of any Herrscher she had ever encountered on Izumo.
Such an unimaginable level of power...
"You're... a Planet-class Honkai Beast?"
"Yes, Master."
It really was planetary-class.
Could the abnormal density of Honkai energy here have birthed such a creature?
Kiana's mind was filled with disbelief and questions, but since she couldn't see the other party, she could only ask slowly, one by one.
"What's your name?"
"Name? I have none..."
From the moment she had awakened, she had known she was meant to follow her master. But when she awoke, her master was already gone, and there were no other Honkai Beasts on this planet capable of communicating with her.
Only one very troublesome human.
Someone who kept trying to intrude here.
She didn't know that human, so she instinctively stopped the bothersome one from entering her master's domain.
"No name?"
Kiana blinked in surprise.
"...Why don't you show yourself?"
"I am here, Master."
Kiana startled, glancing around again—still seeing no one. "I don't see you."
"This is your spiritual world, Master. I am beneath your feet."
Beneath my feet?!
Kiana widened her eyes, lowering her gaze toward the solid ground beneath her. The endless expanse below her—was that... all her body?
"Can't you take human form?"
"Human form?"
Kiana thought she didn't understand and hurriedly explained, "Like me."
The voice did understand. From Kiana, she had absorbed much basic knowledge. She was only surprised that her master would wish for her to appear in a human form.
So small, in every sense.
Still, if it allowed her to resemble her master, it wasn't unacceptable.
"This is your spiritual world, Master. You can imagine what I should look like, and I can appear according to your imagination."
"Imagine?"
Kiana was momentarily stunned. This was almost magical—so she could give her a name and customize her appearance?
Then again, it was the spiritual world—perhaps this was to be expected.
A Planet-class Honkai Beast, after all...
Conjuring the image of someone she had never seen was nearly impossible. But as Kiana's thoughts drifted, a girl clad in white priestly robes appeared before her—exactly as she had just imagined.
Her consciousness condensed into this small body. The girl lifted her hands, curiously examining her new form.
"Jyahnar?"
The figure she had only imagined moments ago was now standing vividly before her. Kiana stared at the girl, startled, and called out unconsciously.
The girl, who had not missed that word, looked up at Kiana in surprise and delight. "Jyahnar? Is that the name you have bestowed upon me, Master?"
Kiana felt a twinge of embarrassment.
Was that a slip of the tongue—or fate?
"...Isn't it?"
When she received no response, the girl seemed to realize something and lowered her head, looking a little dejected.
"If you like it, then use that name," Kiana said softly, unable to bring herself to say anything else.
"Jyahnar... I love the name you've given me, Master!"
Kiana's expression turned a bit awkward. "As long as you like it. Also, you don't need to call me 'Master.' Just call me Kiana. You have your own self and consciousness—I won't treat you as a servant."