Chapter 354
It's a bit convoluted, Einstein couldn't help but think of some melodramatic plots involving family relationships in television programs.
Otto: "Simply put, you can see her as a possibility for Sirin, an individual who inherited Sirin's hatred."
Otto: "To sum it up, Sirin is a very kind girl, she really is kind, but the Herrscher of the Void can never forgive humanity."
Elysia: "Herrscher cannot forgive humans."
The Flame-Chasers couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly. In their time, it was all humans who hated the Herrscher, feared the Herrscher, and could not forgive the pain Herrscher had caused them.
As a result, after Elysia gave her humanity to the Herrscher, it turned out that the Herrscher couldn't forgive humanity, which is quite ironic.
[Q&A begins.]
What exactly is the relationship between Kiana and the Herrscher of the Void?
[Quick Answer Question]
Otto: "They are all extensions of Sirin!"
[Correct answer.]
Tesla: "What?! Otto, you're too fast!"
They hadn't even read the questions properly before they realized the quiz had started, Otto, you'd already answered before they even finished?
And what's more, it's a buzzer-beater question with no answer options!
Otto: "I'm sorry, I have an advantage over everyone else in terms of intelligence, and my brain is also too sharp. In a moment of urgency, I reacted instinctively."
Theresa: "But Grandpa, aren't you being a little too enthusiastic?"
Something feels off.
When Otto first joined, he was hesitant about answering questions, only doing so after he had a clear idea of what to do.
But lately he's been a bit too radical.
Otto: "To be immodest, only I can answer this question precisely, because I am the only one who knows the truth."
Of course, the Herrscher of the Void knew this too, but unfortunately, she hadn't woken up yet.
Elysia: "Yes, Kiana and the Herrscher of the Void are both extensions of Sirin. There were no options, and I couldn't guess the answer. But why are there two Sirin?"
Kiana: "Otto, you better explain yourself!"
Chapter 574 Kiana: Am I Sirin?
Kiana had been feeling somewhat lost all along.
She is not Z Siegfried and Cecilia's biological daughter; she is merely a clone, a replica numbered K423, the vessel of the Herrscher of the Void.
Her birth and existence were meant to house the Herrscher Core and Otto's unknown personal purposes.
This feeling is not pleasant.
Even with people who love her, help her, and support her, Kiana still wants to know: Who am I really?
Unfortunately, the reality is so cruel.
A clone is a clone; she has no real parents. Her mother is Cecilia, her father Z Siegfried, and even her name, K423, is borrowed from someone else.
Otto's words just now tore open another crack in his confused heart, revealing a truth she had never yet encountered within the fog.
Otto: "Is it that hard to understand? Shouldn't my hint about the dog be obvious?"
Theresa: "Grandpa, not everyone can understand your roundabout way of speaking."
Otto: "Okay, let me give you another hint. Sirin is a kind girl, but the Herrscher of the Void cannot forgive humanity. K423 and the Herrscher of the Void are both extensions of Sirin, isn't that obvious enough?"
Raiden Mei: "So, the Herrscher of the Void is an extension of Sirin's hatred, while Kiana is the goodness she retained?!"
Kiana: "I... I'm Sirin?"
A bolt from the blue struck Kiana.
If she is Sirin, then wouldn't she be the culprit who caused Cecilia's death and led to her father's family's ruin during the Second Honkai War?
And yet, this enemy of hers was raised by Z Siegfried as his own daughter?
Otto: "Calm down! I know what you're thinking, K423, but you didn't listen to me. Sirin is dead. You and the Herrscher of the Void are nothing but embers, not even kindling."
Otto: "As for the enemies who tore Cecilia's family apart, blame it all on me. I caused their tragedy; it has nothing to do with you, or even with Sirin."
The Second Honkai War.
Cecilia did not die in the battle with the Herrscher, but from the Honkai Energy Fission Bomb he ordered to be fired. Z Siegfried brought his biological daughter into Schicksal, which he deliberately concealed, preventing the father and daughter from recognizing each other.
Tesla: "Otto, you're quite self-aware, aren't you? Why weren't you so eager to confess before?!"
Dr. Tesla gritted his teeth, making a cracking sound, but he couldn't do anything to Otto.
Otto: "Sometimes I do good deeds too. Don't worry, K423, the power of the Herrscher of the Void can't satisfy my current appetite. I won't hurt you again, really."
Kiana: "You!!"
A promise that was both pleasing and infuriating.
It was as if her misfortunes and the tragedy of the Z Siegfried family were nothing more than expendable tools for Otto to achieve his goals, and that he would not care about them at all once they had lost their value.
Elysia: "Bishop Otto, I have another question. You said Sirin is completely dead, but you also said Kiana is her continuation. Is there a contradiction between these statements?"
Otto: "Well, actually, I have too much faith in human emotions. I believe that extreme emotions can create miracles. Sirin's life was a tragedy. In the end, two extreme emotions were passed down as regret and resentment."
Tesla: "Your claim has absolutely no scientific basis!"
Otto: "Yes, perhaps it's just a ridiculous joke, but I still firmly believe it."
He firmly believes that love can create miracles, and he also firmly believes that his five hundred years of dedication and five hundred years of long-cherished wish can be realized through miracles.
Some things, you just believe, and you don't need to care whether they're true or false.
[Congratulations to Bishop Otto for receiving the reward: Incomplete Golden Rule.]
Pardofelis: "The incomplete Golden Rule?! The same one as Sister Eden's, it's what I've always wanted, crying, why isn't it mine?"
My heart aches for her. The Golden Rule, her Golden Rule!
Why haven't I obtained a single fragment yet?
Raiden Mei: "I actually want the Golden Rule too."
Amber: "What is the Golden Rule?"
Durandal: "The ability to pick up money while walking; those who possess the Golden Rule will never worry about money—that's how the description goes."
Tesla: "It's such a great thing! I want one too! With the Golden Rule, why worry about going bankrupt? Tsk! It's a pity it went to Otto for such a cheap price."
Pardofelis: "Cry, why are you doing this to me?"
Elysia: "Don't be sad, Pardofelis. Here, I'll give you a crystal flower."
Pardofelis: "Yay!"
Even without the Golden Rule, a little perk from Sister Elysia will do.
Anyway, she had plenty of time, and she refused to believe that she was so lucky that she would never get the Golden Rule!
Seeing this, Eden frowned and remained silent. She felt that the Golden Rule was subjective and only those who were not short of money could truly master it.
But wouldn't it be too cruel to tell Pardo this?
Bishop Otto, however, felt out of place with these people, realizing that people's joys and sorrows are not the same.
The emergence of the Golden Rule has elicited envy from some and joy from others, all because of Golden Rule high value. If someone else were to obtain it, they would surely jump for joy.
Bishop Otto, however, was not happy at all; instead, his face was filled with gloom.
[In the scene, the Herrscher of the Void awakens and reclaims the body. In the Theater of Domination, she clashes with Kiana, the two different consciousnesses battling each other.]
The Herrscher of the Void leads Kiana through a review of her life.
From the moment she was born as a clone, her life was filled with tragedy, hurting her loved ones and bringing misfortune to others time and time again.
Cecilia, Z Siegfried, Teacher Himeko, even Raiden Mei... it seems that this is the destiny that must follow Sirin, as K423, throughout her life.
"Now that things have come to this, do you still think you have a chance of winning?" the Herrscher of the Void asked.
"You can never do it. Those agonizing memories, those heavy Shackles, you can't let go of them. You want to escape, but you only sink deeper and deeper into the mire."
"This body is merely a vessel; the soul it carries is far too heavy, too heavy for you to bear."
Sirin's hatred, the fate of the Herrscher, and the malice of humanity.
This is a challenge that those who bear the Herrscher of the Void Core will inevitably face.
"In Sky-Piercing City, you once said that I could never get rid of you," Kiana said. "In the days since then, I've been thinking about two questions."
"Who are you, and who am I?"
The Herrscher of the Void sneered, "I have no interest in discussing philosophy with you. I am Sirin, the Herrscher of the Void, and you are test subject K423. This is a predetermined answer."
"So all of this was done by the Herrscher, not your responsibility? Isn't that what you and your comrades always liked to say when you banded together for mutual support?"
Chapter 575 Kiana VS Herrscher of the Void
"Indeed, I used to think so too." Kiana nodded.
Humans tend to avoid problems, subconsciously refusing to accept the unacceptable facts, thus numbing themselves.
"However, after thinking about it for a long time, I realized there's a truth I'm unwilling to admit: only by accepting her can I possibly stand up to you."
Kiana paused, then said in a deep voice, "I am you. We are two selves belonging to the same body, two beings born from Sirin's desire."
"You and I are both extensions of Sirin."
The Herrscher of the Void paused for a second, her expression gradually turning cold.
"So now you're claiming to be Sirin? Fine, then I'll see how you plan to fulfill her wish and destroy the world she couldn't destroy, now that you are Sirin."
"This has always been your method."
Kiana stared into the Herrscher of the Void's eyes. "You, using Sirin herself, vented your malice and hatred, severing me from the real Sirin and making me refuse to acknowledge my own identity."
"But that's just your wish, not Sirin's. Her dreams are beautiful, and her heart is filled with light."
The Herrscher of the Void scoffed. "You saw a few past memories and started projecting yourself into that world? Fine, then let's talk about Sirin."
Space is shattered, Theater of Domination becomes an arena for the soul, where memories surface in the minds of the two, recreating Sirin's life.
The researchers took Sirin away in the name of hope, pushing her into hell; the seeds of hatred were sown then.
In the Babylon Laboratory, she also made new friends: Aurora, Agata, Bella, and the little girls huddled together for warmth.
However, it was also humans who took Sirin's friends away.
All his friends died, becoming victims of the Babylon Laboratory. The dead cannot be brought back to life; this is something even the Herrscher of Death cannot do.
Having lost everything, Sirin chooses revenge, borrowing the power of God to declare judgment upon the devil.
"But even then, there were people willing to see her through to the end!" Kiana said.
The Herrscher of the Void chuckled dismissively, "You mean Theresa? She's all talk and no action, unrealistic and has never cared about Sirin's feelings."
"Or is it Z Siegfried? He's a coward, timid and indecisive; he shouldn't be included at all."
"As for Cecilia, she did indeed harbor special feelings for Sirin, but love is too pale and powerless in the face of hate. The whole world wouldn't allow her to do so, and in the end, she could only turn against Sirin."
"All humans are Sirin's enemies. Humans killed the Herrscher of the Void. Is this what you call salvation?"
At this point, the Herrscher of the Void paused, then let out a sneer.
So-called love and salvation, kindness and understanding, are nothing but the most malicious irony against Sirin's fate.
Human beings always deceive themselves, using high-sounding words to wash away their sins and evil deeds.
"No matter what, there's still beauty in Sirin's heart. That warmth you scorned is the treasure she longs for most in her dreams!"
Kiana said.
"I don't know what affected you. Those fragmented memories are warm dreams to me, but to you, they're like unbearably hot nightmares."
The Herrscher of the Void sighed, "Even the same memory appears as different scenes in different people's eyes?"
She didn't care about any of that.