Honkai: Strijder (Honkai Impact 3 Male MC)

Kiana's heart wavered.

To Sirin, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

In the pristine dreamscape, darkness began to surge from somewhere, creeping into the pure white space and gradually turning the world into stark black and white polarities.

A girl clad in an exquisite black-and-white armored dress, with the Void Spear floating behind her and golden eyes gleaming, emerged slowly from the shadows. She extended her hand toward the silver-haired girl curled up in a corner, sobbing quietly.

"See? You swore to protect those people, but in the end, you're left heartbroken and desolate. There's no need to drown in these false pretenses. Come, let me lead you—to destroy that ugly world—"

Smack!

The outstretched hand was firmly grasped by another hand clad in black armor.

The sobbing Kiana slowly faded away, her figure becoming transparent, and from it emerged a girl fully clad in black armor.

"Can't you see… I'm upset right now!?"

Boom!!

The black armored fist collided with the tip of the Void Spear, sending ripples outward that shook both the black and white worlds, making them tremble and nearly fall apart.

The gusts of wind blew Sirin's silver hair into the air. She casually brushed it aside, then leisurely admired her glossy, pink fingernails, her tone slow and indifferent.

"Oh, so you haven't broken down yet? What a shame."

"Hmph! Think you can escape from my mindscape? Dream on!"

Kiana withdrew her fist, while the Void Spear behind Sirin returned to its place.

Kiana fixed her gaze on the face that was identical to her own, while Sirin continued to admire her nails with a relaxed and elegant demeanor. Yet the atmosphere between them grew colder and more tense.

After a long pause, Sirin stopped fiddling with her nails and raised her gaze, her brilliant golden eyes looking at Kiana with icy indifference.

"Human emotions are nothing but ridiculous forgeries. Your strength won't last forever. Enjoy your fake and fleeting life while you can, for it won't be long before I reclaim this body and all its power. Then, I will tear apart that false sky and deliver judgment upon humanity!"

"If you have the guts, go ahead and try. No matter how many times, I'll beat you back!"

"Well then… I'll be watching."

"Just you wait!"

Kiana responded firmly, her words resolute and unwavering.

The darkness began to recede, but Sirin remained seated on a golden chair that had materialized at some point. She crossed her legs and leisurely watched Kiana, who had shed her black armor.

Kiana wiped away the tears that refused to stop falling even in the dream, sniffled, and ignored Sirin's actions.

After all, this was their shared mental world. While Kiana could suppress Sirin, driving her out was nearly impossible.

<+>

The dream shattered with the coming dawn, and under the soft light of morning, Kiana slowly opened her eyes.

She was nestled in Sigurd's arms. In front of her, a large crimson greatsword was tilted against a metal stand, flames flickering along its length.

It was the Judgement of Shamash, in its greatsword form.

Once again, Sigurd had repurposed it as a makeshift heater. But more than that, it served as a warning to the Herrscher within Kiana: Sigurd was right here, and she'd better think twice about the consequences.

"You're awake?"

A deep voice reached her ears, and Kiana looked up to meet a pair of gentle, deep blue eyes.

"Mm…"

Kiana murmured softly, then rested her head against Sigurd's chest, listening to the familiar rhythm of his heartbeat. It soothed her restless emotions.

"You're a bad person…"

After a long silence, Kiana muttered unhappily.

Sigurd sighed.

"Yes, I'm a bad person."

"…I want to go to the amusement park."

"Alright, I'll take you."

"I want to eat Black Forest Cake from Uluru Town."

It was the same cake she had once gone to great lengths to order using Sigurd's phone—a taste that had left her yearning ever since.

Sigurd nodded obediently.

"Alright, I'll take you to get the cake from Uluru Town."

"I want to eat until I'm full."

"Sure, you can eat until you're full."

"I want to eat cake until I'm full every day."

"…Denied."

The warm atmosphere shattered instantly with Sigurd's resolute two-word reply.

Kiana raised her head, red-eyed, and lightly pounded her fist against Sigurd's chest.

"You're such a bad person! Can't you indulge me just a little, given the state I'm in?"

"That's unhealthy."

"Is health the issue right now?!"

"Amusement park, fine. Eating as much specialty cake as you want, also fine. But eating cake to your heart's content every single day… not happening."

Sigurd summarized with a mix of helplessness and seriousness.

"Hey!!"

Kiana pouted, punching his chest in mock anger. After a while, she let out a teary laugh.

"Haha! I bet… I bet she was the one who made the first move, right?"

Sigurd knew she was referring to what happened between him and Bronya.

Raising his hand, he gently wiped Kiana's tears away as he replied, "Yes, she made the first move. But I… I didn't refuse her either."

"I knew it. Someone like you would never actively pursue anyone."

"…Are you insulting me?"

"Yes! So what? You're an idiot! A blockhead! A fool! Heartless! Fickle—mmph!?"

Her tirade was abruptly cut off.

Kiana's eyes widened as she felt the unexpected invasion of her lips, her breath stolen away.

Moments later, her lips flushed red, and Kiana, now breathless, leaned limply against Sigurd, giving his shoulder a weak punch.

"Was that supposed to be compensation? Or…"

"No. I just wanted to do it."

"…I haven't even brushed my teeth."

"It's fine. Sweet enough."

Sigurd's calm voice matched his movements as he lightly traced her rosy lips with his finger. His darkened gaze softened before returning to its usual calm demeanor.

Kiana's face turned crimson, and even her round, adorable earlobes were tinged with a soft pink.

"Fine. I forgive you both."

"Thank you."

Though Sigurd's voice remained steady, a sense of relief swept over him. Crisis averted.

Even so, the guilt he felt toward Kiana weighed heavily on him.

Kiana let out a long sigh, idly tracing circles on his chest with her finger.

"Sigh… I thought it was just Sin Mal."

"So did I. I thought it would only ever be Sin Mal."

"There's nothing else, right? From now on, it's just us on this trip, right?"

"Yes, nothing else. From now on, it's just you and me."

Sigurd's reassurance finally calmed Kiana down. The situation with Bronya had already tested her rationality. If there were any more shocking revelations, their rare date might have been completely ruined.

"From now on, no mentioning her name. Only look at me, think only of me, got it?"

Cupping Sigurd's face with her hands, Kiana looked at him seriously.

Her stubborn, focused gaze, paired with her tear-streaked but pure and innocent face, left Sigurd unable to respond with words. Instead, he answered silently.

The price of his response? Kiana's breath was stolen once more, leaving her lips even redder and her body completely boneless, as she leaned against Sigurd, softly panting.

"Sig's been corrupted by her!"

This time, Kiana's punch against Sigurd's chest was feeble and powerless.

Sigurd chuckled lightly.

"Weren't you the one who said not to mention her name?"

"I take it back! Pretend I didn't say that!"

"Alright."

Apart from denying her unreasonable request for endless cake, Sigurd was surprisingly accommodating today, indulging Kiana more than ever.

This made Kiana both delighted and frustrated. Why did he have to be so gentle for such a reason?! It left her unable to feel fully happy.

"Kiana."

"Hmm?"

"I was going to wait until we reached Mond, but I figured, with just the two of us here, the location doesn't really matter."

"What is it, Sig?"

Kiana looked up, her wide, innocent eyes full of curiosity.

Sigurd smiled gently, speaking with a natural, straightforward tone.

"I still don't fully understand what love is. So I can't clearly tell you I love you. But whether it's ten years, a hundred years, or even a thousand or ten thousand years, I want you to stay by my side, always. I'll never let you go."

Sigurd wasn't skilled at sweet-talking. He simply expressed his truest desires.

Yes, he harbored an overwhelming possessiveness toward Kiana. When did it start? And was it based on love? None of that mattered anymore. The only thing that mattered was this: Kiana had to stay by his side. Even a single day or moment without her was unacceptable.

To Kiana, those words were already the most touching and beautiful she'd ever heard.

"What are you even saying? Of course we're going to be together forever!"

As the morning sun bathed them in its warm light, Kiana hugged Sigurd tightly, flashing a bright, carefree smile. Her teeth shone white, her joy unmarred by any lingering shadows.

<+>

Tn: If you want to see more chapter of this story, please go to my Patreon1, just for $5 each month, you can read till the latest chapter.

Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 307: This Is a Coup1

Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-1312696371

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=expanded1