34. A Dream Within a Dream / 35. If you want to know, go ask for yourself...

"Let's get to know each other again... My identity is actually the Herrscher of Consciousness in this era."

"You... can call me Sirin, um, that's it."

Chapter Thirty-Four: A Dream Within a Dream

With the turmoil surrounding the Thousand-Man Herrscher coming to an end, the members of Anti-Entropy finally felt a huge weight lifted from their hearts.

All the doll bodies were destroyed in one go, while the stripped Herrscher Core were stored separately by Ain and kept under strict guard.

Of course, after further investigation, it was discovered that the number of cores they had confiscated was actually less than a thousand; at the very least, they failed to find the girl named Mulsus among the doll's corpse.

However, this was somewhat expected, since there are still quite a few isolated cases among the Thousand-Man Herrscher. In addition, Schicksal and World Serpent have each cleared out a number of Herrscher.

However, even if the remaining Herrscher regroup, they won't be able to cause any significant trouble. After all, the Herrscher Core are the capital for the expansion of the Thousand-Man Herrscher. With almost all the cores taken over, any remaining puppets that dare to show their faces will be instantly killed.

In the unspoken silence between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal, the remaining questions about the hosts of the Thousand-Man Herrscher were quickly categorized and organized according to their respective jurisdictions, and then entered into various post-event processing procedures.

These hosts will be secretly monitored for a period of time to observe the subsequent situation. At the same time, Schicksal and Anti-Entropy will try their best to clean up the mess previously caused by the puppets.

However, while the impact on individuals is easy to mitigate, the impact on the world is much harder to heal... The damage caused by the puppets is no small matter; the sudden tension in the world situation, and the resulting coups and turmoil, all require time to recover.

As the Alliance Leader of Anti-Entropy, Welt has been extremely busy lately, frequently traveling between countries to try his best to quell these influences.

However, although the chaos in the world has not completely subsided, the atmosphere inside Anti-Entropy has gradually returned from tension to relaxation and liveliness.

After all... just recently, Ain announced that the Anti-Entropy 60th Anniversary Celebration, which was delayed due to the impact of the Thousand-Man Herrscher, will be held soon.

Yes, "recently" refers to tonight.

"Hi, Doctor. Ain, Kiana."

Xia Ling, carrying a large pile of decorations, suddenly emerged from the space. "What are you all talking about?"

The two weren't too surprised by Xia Ling's sudden appearance, since Xia Ling had been using her abilities in her daily life for quite some time.

"Kiana has been a bit too tense lately, I was just about to loosen her up a bit."

Ain looked troubled. "Xia Ling, you should keep a closer eye on her. She spends all her time in the training room and doesn't come out. She even forgot that today is the anniversary party."

"Is this even possible? Here, as punishment, I'm entrusting you with the arrangement of these things."

Upon hearing this, Xia Ling, without saying a word, stuffed the large box of flower balls and ribbons in her hand into Kiana's hands.

"Hey... Sister Xia Ling is obviously just trying to slack off, isn't she?"

"As the hero who defeated the Thousand-Man Herrscher, what's wrong with me slacking off a little?" Xia Ling proudly put her hands on her hips. "Look, this time I didn't even get injured, a perfect clear."

"Pfft... Sister Xia Ling, is this some kind of achievement to be proud of?"

Kiana couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Ah, speaking of this." Ain suddenly remembered something. "Dr. Tesla was determined to develop a mecha that could avoid being controlled by the Thousand Thousand-Man Herrscher because he was competing with the Thousand-Man Herrscher."

"Then, unsurprisingly, a lot of money was wasted, and I'm thinking about how to give her a little punishment. Do you have any ideas?"

"Why don't we let Dr. Tesla debut as the number one idol of Anti-Entropy and earn back the research and development costs himself?" Xia Ling suggested.

"Good idea, but Dr. Tesla can sing and dance, right?"

"That's easy." Ain, who was experienced in scheming, immediately offered a solution. "Just put a little bit of alcohol in her coffee... and you'll see Tesla standing on the table, singing and dancing."

"Dr. Tesla is truly blessed to have a friend like you..."

"Hehe."

After seeing off Ain, who was rushing off to prepare the "props," Kiana looked at Xia Ling beside her.

"What are your plans for the future Sister Xia Ling?"

"Of course, we should continue preparing things... There's still a lot of room for decoration for today's banquet, after all, we need to decorate the entire Salt Lake Base."

"I heard that Rosalia and Lilia are preparing a performance, and these things in your hands are for them."

Xia Ling glanced at the props in Kiana's hand and said, "If you had arrived earlier, you might have been able to see their rehearsal."

"However, as far as I know, Sirin is the only audience member at the rehearsal right now. If you go there now, you should be able to sit at the same table as Sirin."

"I always felt that Sister Xia Ling's words had a hidden meaning..." Kiana scratched her head. "However, after resolving her inner conflict, Sirin has become more and more cheerful."

"Although Sirin used to communicate with others in a very casual way, if you paid close attention, you could always sense that she always carried a subtle sense of distance."

"Looking back now, I should call it guilt... After all, she had been hiding her true identity, yet she could see through other people's true feelings. It's really..."

"I don't think Sirin's current situation can be called cheerful; it's more like her true nature has been revealed... After all, she used to be a bit reserved because of Fu Hua's identity, but now she can completely let loose," Xia Ling sighed.

"However, the Thousand-Man Herrscher has really done a great thing this time... Fu Hua's physical problems have been completely resolved, and she has even been given additional enhancements in terms of consciousness."

"After Sirin leaves the body, she can also take on a physical form through the Feather Dust medium, without affecting her daily life at all."

"So, Sirin's current situation can be considered as becoming a Divine Key?" Kiana tilted her head.

"Luckily, Sirin didn't hear that, otherwise she would definitely be furious with you." Xia Ling couldn't help but laugh.

"However... Kiana, speaking of consciousness, have you been dreaming about Sirin lately?"

"... Actually, it happens every day, Sister Xia Ling," Kiana said after a moment of silence.

"Huh?"

This was somewhat unexpected for Xia Ling. She had thought that Sirin was still in a state of autism, and she was wondering if Sirin, who had suddenly become autistic for two months, needed to be taken to see a doctor again.

Surprisingly, it was Sirin who took the initiative.

"So, Kiana, it's you who's refusing to communicate with Sirin?"

"Of course not... I'm not the same person I used to be." Kiana shook her head, looking puzzled.

"But, Sister Xia Ling, this matter is indeed a bit complicated."

"Because, every time I dream, I get caught in a dream within a dream."

Chapter Thirty-Five: If you want to know, just ask yourself.

"A dream within a dream? Is that even possible?"

Xia Ling was filled with curiosity.

"Every time I enter a dream, I see a small house," Kiana recalled. "It's the house that Sirin and I lived in the dream."

"And then you went in?"

"Yes, I always just go straight in." Kiana nodded.

"Putting aside my previous experiences in the dream, even if it was because she helped me stop Mei that time, and later didn't restrict my use of my powers at all... I would never refuse to communicate with her."

"But every time I enter that house, I immediately fall into a deep sleep."

"Then, I would inexplicably dream about things that happened when Sirin was a child."

"Sirin's past... does that mean you dreamed about more than just what Sirin experienced in the Babylon Tower?"

"Well, rather than saying that the dreams I experience are actually the minority. Most of the time, I dream about memories that aren't too painful."

"Even in the Babylon Tower, the main focus was on getting along with those companions."

"Oh, right, and I also dreamt about Sirin and Lady Cecilia's experiences... but that experience itself was also a dream..."

"Uh... a dream within a dream within a dream?" Xia Ling tilted her head.

"I didn't keep folding boxes, I just dreamt about that memory." Kiana shook her head.

"Looking at it this way... it seems like these dreams aren't doing you any harm?"

"Of course not. In fact, the only change these dreams brought to me was that they allowed me to experience Sirin's past almost completely... That's why I've never told you about it before." Kiana's voice sounded somewhat confused.

"I can't really say what Sirin is trying to do, but I always feel like she wants me to understand something, but she doesn't want to tell me herself, so she's using this awkward way."

"So, what's your attitude?" Xia Ling asked.

"I... I'm actually a little nervous, talking to Sirin face-to-face and all..."

Kiana's eyes held a hint of complexity.

"To be honest, if Sirin really returns to normal, and is no longer affected by the Honkai, nor by those memories, I could actually accept sharing a body with her, or like the Herrscher of Consciousness."

"But... I don't know if everyone can accept this. Like I said before, I will forgive Sirin, so... what about everyone else?"

"Moreover, I don't know what Sirin is thinking. My background, Sirin's background, Otto's conspiracy... all of these are mixed together, and it's too complicated. Many things can no longer be judged by right or wrong."

Even now, I don't dare call the headmistress "Auntie," because I don't know where the real Kiana is now...

"Even though it sounds daunting, you still push that door open without hesitation every time, don't you?"

Xia Ling patted Kiana's head and couldn't help but laugh, "You're just such a silly girl who will keep trying to save others even if it means forcing yourself."

"What?... It's all because you taught us so well."

"Well, Kiana, since you care so much about everyone's opinions, why don't you go and ask them yourself?"

"Just like today, I'm taking this opportunity to open my heart to you."

"Is this... really okay? Isn't this a bit too abrupt?" Kiana hesitated.

"Don't underestimate how much you mean to everyone! Trust me, everyone really dotes on you. After all, you're the ultimate, invincible, super cute Kiana ~"

"What kind of weird nickname is this! Sister Xia Ling, it's fine between the two of us, but please don't call me that in front of other people!"

Kiana immediately covered her face; in her opinion, the level of embarrassment from this "nickname" was a little too much.

"Hmm~ But seeing that you and Sirin get along well, I'm relieved."

"Don't worry? What's there to worry about..." Kiana asked doubtfully, "Speaking of which, hasn't my condition been stable for two months? Why is Sister Xia Ling asking about this now?"

"Hmm... you must have seen Sirin's situation at the time and felt compelled to speak out."

Xia Ling smiled mysteriously, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about these heavy topics anymore. Go and deliver the things to Rosalia and Lilia, and remember to help them decorate."

"I'll be inspecting the venue when I get back. Good work will be rewarded, bad work will be punished!"

"Rewards and punishments?" Kiana asked curiously. "Alright, since Sister Xia Ling has said so, I'll look forward to the rewards."

As it turned out, Xia Ling's reward came quickly; within ten minutes, five limited-edition chocolate parfaits were delivered to Kiana's room.

"This parfait... I remember it being pretty expensive, right?"

"You idiot Rosalia, it's not about whether it's expensive or not, it's that these parfaits need to be pre-ordered well in advance, you definitely can't buy them on the day itself."

"Huh?" Kiana blinked. "Is that so?"

"Then... if we fail to clean up the venue properly, what will be Sister Xia Ling's punishment?"

"If it's not cleaned up properly... although you can still enjoy this parfait, but..."

Xia Ling gave a mischievous smile, "I'll feed you myself~"

"Hello... hello me?"

Kiana couldn't help but think of that scene, and a blush gradually rose on her face.

Suddenly I have a... urge to mess up the room.

"Ding ding ding—"

The sound of a cake fork clattering against a plate pulled Kiana back to reality.

"Listen up, I'm still here." Sirin said with a mischievous smile, "Although I don't intend to read your minds, I can sense some of your pink, bubbly thoughts even if I don't read them, you know?"

"Cough cough cough cough..." Kiana choked a little by the words of the Herrscher of Consciousness.

"Oh? Could it be...?"

Xia Ling's expression became almost comical as she picked up a piece of cake and held it to Kiana's lips.

"Ugh..." Kiana couldn't resist the temptation and blushed as she ate the cake that Xia Ling fed her.

"Sister Xia Ling (chews), I'll definitely get my revenge on you at tonight's party!"

"Alright, alright, I look forward to your revenge."

Chapter Thirty-Six: If only I had known that getting Xia Ling drunk would lead to...