Can I Call You My Wife?

It's not just about appearance, it's also about temperament.

Kiana had no idea what kind of emotional journey and experiences she went through after the Great Honkai.

Or perhaps it's fate.

The Mei standing before her now was almost identical to Yomi from the game.

"She wanted to stay on the Ark to protect the Core Flame, while I... we weren't on the same path, so I had almost no contact with her."

Yomi was also watching her, noticing her different attire and the exquisite little decorations on her body.

Her intuition told her that Kiana probably didn't dress up herself, because Kiana had never really cared about these things.

"I found out from Sirin."

"It's not because of that."

Seeing that she seemed to have misunderstood something, Yomi opened the door and said, "She and I are destined to be different, so maintaining this kind of relationship is enough."

"... But that would be too lonely for you."

Kiana was heartbroken, finding it hard to imagine what she had been through all these years alone.

"I'm truly lonely without you. I'd accept any price to see you again."

Yomi looked at her slightly reddened eyes, pursed his lips, and said, "It only has meaning when you're by my side."

"... So you've embarked on a path of nothingness, and are going further and further down that path?"

Hearing Mei's concern, Kiana couldn't feel happy at all; instead, her heart ached.

"I don't want to end up like I was back then, unable to do anything."

Yomi didn't regret it and comforted her, "Besides, it's not as terrible as you think. Remember the Stigma you gave me? It helped me a bit."

Kiana isn't a child.

This kind of approach that only talks about the result and not the process is definitely not a smooth and uneventful journey that is glossed over.

She rubbed her eyes again and said, "Don't lie to me, the Stigma can't possibly have that effect. I've been affected by the Void too."

"Have you also been tainted by nothingness?"

He spoke of himself with a relaxed expression, but when he heard that Kiana had also been tainted by the void, Yomi's expression immediately turned serious.

This is no longer what it used to be.

In the past, she could only hear descriptions of Honkai and nothingness from other people, from Kiana.

However, things are different now.

In terms of understanding nothingness, few in this world can surpass her.

"After that failed, I fell into a deep sleep. During that sleep, I was unknowingly affected by nothingness."

Kiana took a deep breath and said slowly, "That feeling was awful, and I even lost all my Remembrance because of it."

Forgotten?

Yomi's eyes narrowed, and he instinctively grabbed her wrist, saying incredulously, "You've forgotten?"

"Mei, don't get agitated. That happened before. I've remembered it now, and I've temporarily shaken off the influence of the void."

Slowly releasing Kiana, Yomi gazed at Kiana before him, confirming that what she said was true before he could barely calm down.

Everything related to Kiana has always been her most precious memory, and also the only memory that has faded.

She dared not forget.

When she heard Kiana say that she had forgotten her past, she almost lost control of herself.

If Kiana forgets herself...

Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand; just thinking about that possibility made her feel like she couldn't breathe.

"I want to tell you that I understand what it feels like to be Self-Annihilator, to wake up one day and forget what you've lost..."

85

Chapter 85 May I call you my wife?

The influence of nothingness remained on Kasli until she remembered her past and before she used Honkai again.

It's like forgetting.

She forgets things every day, so she has a habit of writing memos because she doesn't know what she'll forget when she wakes up.

This caused her a lot of trouble, but fortunately, at that time, the only person she knew was ARuan, and the things she forgot weren't particularly important.

"... Can you tell me what happened after you woke up two years ago?"

Yomi didn't want to discuss the void with Kiana; as long as he was certain that Kiana was currently unaffected by the void, that was enough.

"I don't remember how I left Izumo. After leaving, I was unconscious and was taken in by ARuan, and then we lived together. Until a year ago, on my way to Tenhutou Rock to find Izumo, I accidentally used the power of Honkai. There was a war going on on that planet, which triggered a small Honkai disaster. Because of the influence of Honkai energy, I remembered things from the past, and that's why I started searching for you everywhere."

Listening to Kiana's account, Yomi gained a general understanding of her over the past two years.

It turns out that Kiana lost her Remembrance for a period of time, and during that time, she was taken in by someone.

No wonder Kiana left without her noticing or realizing it.

"Then I posted a bounty at the company, but it was too slow, so I started thinking of other ways. Luckily, I met a friend in Kasli who was a really good singer, and with her help, I successfully got my name published."

"The Nightingale?"

"Yes! It's the Nightingale!"

Kiana wasn't surprised that she the Nightingale's name, because she and the Nightingale had been practically inseparable for the past six months.

"She sings very well and is also a very important friend of mine."

"I know her."

Yomi paused for a moment, then explained, "I saw your poster by chance, which is how I found out you were looking for me."

She's also been looking up the Nightingale these past few days, because of what the company representative said, and because of her curiosity about Kiana's friends.

While she wasn't Kiana made new friends, and they seemed to be getting along really well.

"This is all thanks to the Nightingale. If it weren't for her, I probably wouldn't have thought of this way to find people. Perhaps I can introduce you two later?"

"Good."

Thanks to that Miss the Nightingale?

Yomi silently noted down what she said, and if she had the chance, she would repay this favor.

If she hadn't seen that poster, she doesn't know how much time would have passed before she discovered that Kiana had left Izumo.

"Also, I have a few more things I'd like to say to you about Izumo."

"Izumo's fate was sealed long ago. It's not your fault. You've already done so much for Izumo."

Yomi thought she was still holding a grudge about that incident.

Kiana shook her head and said, "What I meant was, on my way back to find you, I went back to Izumo again, where I found the Stigmata crystal and discovered the Stigmata world inside."

"Those who died in the Great Honkai may have retained their consciousness, which became the consciousness of the Stigma."

"I found Sakura, Yae Sakura."

Yomi was stunned for a long time upon hearing the news. She had always thought that everything in Izumo was already...

Did they retain consciousness?

"You want to resurrect them?"

"I don't have that plan for the time being."

Kiana turned her head away shyly, not daring to look at Yomi.

"Kiana, don't do what you did back then. If you absolutely have to... I hope you can explain it to me clearly."

"... Okay, I had that thought when I first found out about it, but I won't do it for now."

Just as I suspected.

Yomi knew very well what kind of person Kiana was. If Kiana insisted on shaking her head and saying that she didn't have that idea, Yomi would find it strange and be wary.

There must be a bigger plan behind that.

Just like before.

Seeing that Yomi didn't react much, Kiana breathed a slight sigh of relief; her previous failure had been too frightening.

Therefore, she worried that Yomi would stop her.

After all, something similar had happened once before, and that incident directly led to their separation.

None of the things she had imagined or worried about had happened, Kiana felt both relieved and somewhat guilty.

After all, she genuinely believed she was in the wrong.

But instead of being punished, they were comforted instead.

The gentler she was, the more Kiana felt guilty and distressed, yet she didn't know how to make amends.

Will you not do that again?

Would such a guarantee really make someone happy? She didn't believe it.

People who say such things will most likely repeat the same mistake next time. Judging others by one's own standards, she felt it was better not to say it at all.

As they chatted about what they had experienced during their separation, Kiana stared intently at Yomi's face, which, though relaxed, still remained somewhat taciturn and aloof.

She seemed to have gotten used to it.

Kiana felt a pang of sadness; in her memory, Mei was also a girl who loved to laugh.

If that waiter isn't here.

What would her reaction be if I called her "wife" outright?

You'll definitely show a different expression on your face, right?

As she spoke, a strange, reckless impulse began to stir within her, especially with Yomi's serious demeanor, which made her even more curious about his reaction.

How about... we give it a try?

How can we lighten the mood and restore the slightly awkward atmosphere that's arisen from not seeing each other for so long?

Before taking any action, though he was already considering it, a hint of eagerness appeared in his azure eyes.

It did not escape the eyes of the Yomi.

What makes you happy?

Just as doubts arose, Kiana coughed lightly and said something to Yomi, whom she had reunited with less than half an hour earlier, that caught her completely off guard.

"Mei, can I call you my wife?"

What did you call me?

What did Kiana just say?

Kiana's usually calm mind went into disarray when she heard Kiana's unexpected and abrupt question.

If she hadn't misheard, and nothing unexpected had happened, Kiana had just asked if she could call her... wife?

This was so sudden.

She was completely unprepared.

She knew Kiana liked her, and she felt the same way about Kiana. Back in Izumo, Kiana had openly expressed her feelings to her.

But that wasn't the time to respond.

So she could only remain silent.

"... Kiana, this is so sudden."

Just as Kiana had predicted, Yomi's face revealed other emotions.

"Is it okay? Is it okay?"

Kiana rushed to her side, hugged her hand, and gently shook her arm. "I wanted to call you that."