NOVEL NEXT Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Goodnight, Sirin!
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As memories burned away, Ana felt aspects from her previous life beginning to fade—her family, cherished classmates, treasured belongings...
Some recollections, long hidden deep within her mind, now surfaced one by one, like old friends bidding their final farewell before vanishing forever.
When these memories were intact, they held little significance for Ana. But facing their loss now, she couldn't help feeling lost and melancholic.
Yet, ultimately, it didn't matter.
After arriving in this world, Ana realized she could no longer return to her original reality, unless everything here was merely a dream.
Since she belonged to this realm now, sacrificing a part of her past to secure a brighter future for Kiana seemed an acceptable trade-off.
Perhaps, in the future, things might take a turn for the better.
However, as these memories vanished, some recollections from the original Ana resurfaced, filling the gaps in her lost past and identity.
Gradually, Ana's perception began to shift slightly, transitioning from being a reincarnated individual into perceiving herself as Ana who had crossed over into this world before returning back through another transmigration event.
Fortunately, the System intervened just in time, forcefully correcting this misconception. It ensured that Ana always remembered she had exchanged nearly two decades of her previous life's memories for Sirin's past, which maintained the Herrscher of the Void's persona.
It wasn't about Ana becoming Sirin; rather, it was Sirin transforming into Ana.
As time progressed, the previously vanished memories gradually returned. Apart from a few insignificant ones consumed during the exchange, there were no noticeable effects.
Seemingly considerate, the System chose to erase those dark and undesirable memories.
With each memory burned, the figure of the Queen of Void started fading away. A person's identity is closely tied to their environment, and now with its foundation dissipating like smoke, the inevitable demise of this persona followed.
However, with the Herrscher Core still intact, if Kiana cannot control it, the rebirth of the Herrscher persona remains inevitable. This is a challenge she must face alone; no one can assist her.
"You have no idea what burdens she truly carries."
As her body gradually dissipates, Herrscher of the Void seems to realize that this outcome is unchangeable and relinquishes her fixation, becoming calm instead.
"I do know, and I also know that beyond this world, many people love her, support her, and are willing to help her." Ana paused momentarily, then lifted her head, gazing upwards.
She isn't certain if this part will appear within the game, so she decides to conduct an experiment—an idea sparked by her earlier visit to the community forums.
Quietly, Ana makes a hushing gesture with her hand.
With her back turned to Herrscher of the Void, Ana's subtle action goes unnoticed. Moreover, having seen the resolute look in Ana's eyes before, Herrscher of the Void resignedly closes her own eyes.
"Fine, since you're the victor, the weak must obey the strong."
"But the path you walk is not as easy as it seems."
"You can actually see my path?"
Curiosity piqued, Ana had always found the Herrscher of the Void quite intriguing. Despite being aligned with Honkai, she ultimately became the first Herrscher to board the Ark.
Based on her knowledge from another world, there seemed likely to be some connection between these two characters.
"In a way," the Queen of Void replied slowly. For the first time, Ana noticed a faint smile on the Herrscher of the Void's face, reflecting both weariness and a sense of relief.
Everyone saw the Queen of Void's boundless power and diverse abilities, yet few understood the burdens she carried. She was indeed different from the original Sirin.
First becoming the Herrscher of Human, then shouldering Sirin's sins, led her to become the Queen while allowing Kiana to remain a carefree child.
"I have nothing more to say. Since you've come this far, I trust you'll continue your journey."
"Hopefully, at the end point, we shall meet again."
"Herrin der Wind, I acknowledge your strength and anticipate you reaching the end..."
The Herrscher of the Void's voice gradually weakened; her body had become entirely translucent. The memories burning within Ana's mind were now sealed, no longer consuming her, but the Herrscher's own combustion continued unabated.
This time, she was truly dissipating.
"Goodnight, Sirin," Ana softly whispered as she stood up.
With the Herrscher of the Void fading away, everything around them began to collapse. This realm was, after all, the mental world created by the Herrscher herself.
As its mistress vanished, so too did the world naturally follow suit.
Everything gradually returned to chaos. Amidst the darkness, three gemstones of different colors flew towards Ana: the Void Core, Gem of Conquest, and Gem of Serenity.
However, since this was a realm of consciousness, the gemstones appeared not in their physical forms but as concentrated energy clusters, symbolizing Authorities and serving as keys to connect with the Cocoon.
Since Ana killed the Herrscher of the Void, these three Authorities effectively fell under her conquest. If she wished, she could claim them completely.
With these, she could rekindle the brilliance of the Second Herrscher.
However, Ana chose not to do so. Instead, she merely extracted a thread from each Authority, treating them as trophies and also ensuring that if ever forced to confront Kiana, she wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
As both her cousin and teacher, Ana couldn't bear the thought of hitting adorable Senti. Thus, her only option was passive defense, rendering Kiana's attacks ineffective.
"You..." A voice suddenly spoke, but without even looking up, Ana knew who it was.
In this space, following the Queen's demise, only Kia-chan and Fu Hua could appear here. Considering Kiana was likely still withdrawn, it had to be Fu Hua.
"What, come to demand answers, Red Kite Immortal?" Ana chuckled softly, not bothering to turn around. For her, there was nothing much to say; her actions required no one else's understanding, nor did they weigh on her conscience.
"...Are you...alright?"
Observing Ana's figure, Fu Hua fell silent for a moment before hesitantly speaking up.
She didn't inquire about the origin of Ana's Fenghuang Down; it wasn't hard to guess—it could only have come from Taixuan Mountain. Knowing her own past, it made sense that Ana would visit Taixuan Mountain.
Moreover, Su accompanied Ana, though their relationship differed from hers with Kiana—Su likely couldn't provide the same level of care she did.
However, what truly concerned Fu Hua was this: according to Su, Ana had accomplished the defeat of the Herrscher of the Void by burning Fenghuang Down and harnessing his power.
This strategy was indeed remarkable; Fu Hua never considered such an approach against the Herrscher of the Void.
But here lies the problem:
Burning Fenghuang Down requires consuming vast amounts of memories. Fu Hua herself, with numerous memories, could withstand it, but Ana is just an ordinary person of this era. How could she possibly mitigate the effects of Fenghuang Down?
It remained a puzzle Fu Hua couldn't decipher.
Furthermore, Ana appeared completely unaffected, as if nothing had happened. Fu Hua genuinely struggled to understand how Ana managed this feat.
"What could possibly be wrong with me? I'm feeling perfectly fine..." Ana replied mildly before adding thoughtfully, "As if reborn anew."
The Captain would have recognized this phrase instantly, but Ana forgot that Fu Hua was unfamiliar with its origin, leading to a brief silence.
"Alright, alright, don't worry, Red Kite Immortal. I assure you, I'm not lying." Sensing Fu Hua's confusion, Ana hastily changed her wording, inadvertently causing Fu Hua's veins to bulge.
"Fine, fine, it seems you're indeed doing well," Fu Hua responded curtly, oblivious to the fact that Ana hadn't been present when Otto uttered those words. So how did she know them?
"In any case, Kiana is now in your care. As for me, everything within my power has been taken care of."
Fu Hua hesitated, wanting to question how exactly Ana considered matters resolved, but recalling Su's earlier remarks, she held back.
Ana... she entrusted her hopes to Kiana, while as for herself...
"Behind the World Serpent... who is it?" Despite already harboring suspicions, Fu Hua chose to seek confirmation from Ana.
"You already know the answer within your heart; why bother asking me?" Ana replied mildly. She felt somewhat helpless witnessing the relationships among the Heroic Spirits in this era. Clearly, Fu Hua knew the truth but refused to believe it. The actions of the World Serpent should have been evident all along, shouldn't they? After all, she was aware of Project Stigma's details.
"..."
This response inadvertently reminded Fu Hua of Su's earlier words, causing her expression to turn grave.
"In any case, I've placed my bet on Kiana. If you cannot ignite this Kindling, that will be solely your issue. As for me, I'm done meddling." Ana stated nonchalantly, then stretched lazily.
Stretching in this spiritual form felt quite peculiar; even if she continued leaning back, she would merely float suspended in mid-air.
Unfortunately, this state soon turned into her worst nightmare.
To aid Kiana, Ana had exhausted all her trump cards. Now, Su's power was completely gone. Although she could potentially use the Karmic Wheel one more time, without Su's enhancement and control, Ana felt uncertain about its effectiveness.
Let's remain slightly optimistic, at least for now. She did manage to save Kiana; henceforth, the Herrscher of the Void would not be reborn, allowing Kiana to utilize Herrscher Authorities normally.
However, this didn't mean Kiana's crisis was resolved.
Kiana is currently a Tri-Core Herrscher, capable of controlling three Cores like the Herrscher of the Void. This ability isn't solely due to being the Queen but also because she hasn't been injected with the Gun of God.
For Kiana, the Gun of God acts as a double-edged sword, and its adverse effects are gradually surfacing. As an unascended Herrscher, Kiana cannot maintain control over three Cores.
Over time, Kiana faces imminent death from Core overload. In this regard, Ana played a crucial role by extracting a fraction of Kiana's Authority, temporarily reducing her power output. However, reaching the critical threshold remains just a matter of time.
"..."
Fu Hua remained silent, not dwelling on Ana's words. In truth, she had already placed her bet on Kiana as well; in this aspect, they were allies.
However, now Fu Hua found herself somewhat concerned for Ana instead.
If things proceeded as expected, Ana would undoubtedly become Kevin's target. Of course, Kiana would be too, but given the current situation, Ana was more likely to attract Kevin's attention.
In fact, without any surprises, Kevin might have already set his sights on Ana.
At this point, Fu Hua was unaware that during their encounter in the Sea of Quanta, Kevin had extended an invitation to the Herrscher of Reason. She didn't know about the agreement between Kevin and Elysia at that time.
Without such an agreement, Kevin's attitude towards Herrschers would typically lean towards disdain and elimination.
After all, one Herrscher of Human is enough; others could simply be disregarded, as they wouldn't affect Project Stigma anyway.
But Fu Hua did learn from Su that Kevin had indeed left the Sea of Quanta.
"Ana, you're currently in great danger..."
"Mm-hmm."
"Let me guess what danger you're referring to. It must be Kevin from World Serpent, right?"
"..."
Fu Hua fell silent again, feeling that perhaps there was no need for her input at all. The girl before her was arguably the most enigmatic person she had encountered in many years, even garnering high praise from Su himself.
Maybe her concerns were entirely unwarranted...
"Don't worry; I'm aware that Kevin is looking for me. After intercepting his old friend, how could he not come after me?" Ana said, raising Might of An-Utu as she continued, "See, borrowed it from my future father-in-law - isn't it cool?"
There was a clear sense of pride and showmanship in Ana's tone. Internally, Fu Hua mourned for Kiana.
Here's the situation: You're still worried about your dad and wanting to seek revenge for him, yet this person standing before you has already set her sights on you, going so far as calling your dad 'father-in-law,' while you remain blissfully unaware...
It wasn't surprising, given Fu Hua didn't know Bianka was the true identity of Kiana, leading to this somewhat romantic misunderstanding.
"Ana, Kevin is the strongest among us. Even at my peak, I..."
Fu Hua sounded anxious; she was well aware of Kevin's immense power. If not for Su sending Kevin into the Sea of Quanta, he would have likely already initiated Project Stigma, leading to the annihilation of everything as it stands today.
"Relax, Hua." Observing Fu Hua's urgency, Ana remained composed and unhurried. "Unless Kevin can unleash his Savior-Kevin form now, he has no chance against me. To achieve his goals, he must compromise with me."
"So, there's nothing to worry about."
Recalling how confidently this girl had faced the Herrscher of the Void, Fu Hua stifled her concerns. Yet, inexplicably, facing her former colleague and teacher whom she once knew so intimately, Fu Hua felt a sense of unfamiliarity...