"I need your identity—and your appearance."
The girl's voice came from behind her. The Herrscher of Fire Kiana tightened her grip on the sword hilt, spun sharply, and swept the massive blade through the air, carving a crimson arc straight toward the source of the sound.
Whoosh!
The blade cleaved through the air with a piercing shriek, only to halt abruptly before Angelia's throat—suspended black ice hovering steadily in place, blocking the attack with perfect precision.
"Angelia, stop this! You can't possibly succeed," the Herrscher of Fire Kiana said firmly, attempting to persuade her.
"Can't succeed? You're wrong." A confident smile curled at Angelia's lips. "I've already succeeded."
"What?"
The Herrscher of Fire Kiana's gaze gradually grew unfocused. In the next moment, her consciousness faded, and she collapsed onto the ground of the Theater of Domination.
...
"Mmm... my head hurts..."
The blonde girl slowly opened her eyes and found herself standing at the center of the Theater of Domination. She shook her head, trying to dispel the chaos clouding her mind.
"Where is this...?"
"Who am I?"
Having lost her memory, she looked utterly lost.
"Hello there—"
"Who?!"
The sudden voice startled the blonde girl. She turned her head at once and saw a valiant white-haired girl with a single ponytail standing there, hands clasped behind her back, leaning forward slightly as she smiled at her.
"Angelia, are you alright?!" The white-haired girl sounded full of concern.
"Angelia? Is that my name?"
At the sound of that name, fragments of memory about "Angelia" gradually surfaced in the blonde girl's mind.
However, most of those memories consisted of her playing around with numerous girls in this very space, making her flush bright red as her breathing grew uneven.
Was I... really that kind of person before?
Confusion filled her heart.
"Did I hit you too hard?" Herrscher of Dominance Kiana asked, a trace of self-reproach in her voice.
"Ah?! N-No, I'm fine. I just lost my head for a moment and attacked you. I'm really very sorry."
Herrscher of Fire Angelia recalled how, in order to become the Final Herrscher, she had attempted on stage to forcibly link Kiana and Raiden Mei's bodies and authorities. Her face flushed scarlet as she lowered her head in apology.
"If you wanted to link to my authority, you could've just told me directly. Why go so far as to attack?" Herrscher of Dominance Kiana extended her hand, and within her palm appeared the core of the Herrscher of Fire.
"Th-This..."
Herrscher of Fire Angelia stood there, momentarily stunned, still not fully processing what was happening.
Herrscher of Dominance Kiana looked at her dazed, innocent expression.
Is her natural airheadedness some kind of instinct? she muttered inwardly.
"K-Kiana... Sister, you really don't mind?"
A strange feeling welled up inside Herrscher of Fire Angelia, yet she couldn't pinpoint its source.
"There's nothing to mind. You just wanted to link authorities. It's not like you'd hurt us." Herrscher of Dominance Kiana placed her hands on her hips, sounding utterly unconcerned.
Under Herrscher of Dominance Kiana's guidance, Herrscher of Fire Angelia successfully linked to the Herrscher of Fire core.
The entire process went exceptionally smoothly—after all, it had originally been her authority.
However, the overwhelming flood of "questionable yellow" memories crashing through her mind left Herrscher of Fire Angelia in a constant daze.
In her muddled state, she completed the authority link with Herrscher of Dominance Kiana.
Not only that, but out of a sense of compensation, Herrscher of Fire Angelia also handed over an unclaimed Herrscher of Dominance core to Herrscher of Dominance Kiana. The two achieved shared authority—and completed an exchange of identities.
...
At the judges' table.
Miku Izayoi glanced at Kiki, her brows slightly furrowed. "This is the 'good show' you were talking about?"
"Isn't it pretty interesting?" Kiki smiled faintly, a hint of teasing in her tone.
Eden, however, looked somewhat worried. "Isn't this... a bit too much?"
"It's fine. For me, this isn't anything excessive. Besides, you should all know that the identity of Kiana Kaslana can belong to her—or to someone else." Kiki shrugged, completely unconcerned.
Chihaya Anon stared at the scene unfolding within the Theater of Domination on stage, her heart filled with astonishment.
She had never imagined that the usually gentle and elegant Angelia had such a side.
My Angelia... I never thought you'd actually be this kind of 'bad woman'!
Togawa Sakiko, meanwhile, wore a thoroughly perplexed expression, her brows knitted tightly together.
What exactly is so special about the identity of Kiana Kaslana?
And what is the point of staging a public "civet cat for the crown prince" switch right in front of the entire world?
Everyone knows you're Angelia who turned into Kiana!
Her heart was filled with incomprehension.
Herrscher of Dominance Kiana and Herrscher of Fire Angelia stepped out of the Theater of Domination and returned to the stage.
"Our performance has concluded. What did everyone think?"
Kiki applauded with a smile. "It was a splendid performance. Though your act on stage has ended, your drama is far from over. I look forward to what you do next."
"I will."
At those words, Herrscher of Dominance Kiana's lips curved upward slightly. She knew the matter was settled.
As long as she returned to the world of Honkai in the identity of Kiana Kaslana...
Fate would guide her to become the Final Herrscher.