As all the Honkai energy was completely absorbed by Akio, the power of life and death fully restored Murata Himeko's injuries.
"Mmm…" A soft groan escaped Himeko's lips. Akio looked down at her, and her golden eyes slowly opened. "Am I dead?"
Not receiving an answer, the first thing Himeko saw was the face of a man with white hair and golden eyes, which immediately triggered unpleasant memories.
Seeing the glowing wings behind Akio, Himeko's expression changed, and she struggled!
Without the power of the Vermillion Knight, she couldn't fight the Herrscher of the Void!
She was completely confused. Hadn't she just saved Kiana and successfully suppressed her Herrscher form? Why had she opened her eyes to another Herrscher of the Void—and a male one at that?
"Murata Himeko, we're not enemies," Akio said.
"I'm Akio. This world isn't the one you came from. Although I'm also the Herrscher of the Void, I'm not the one you know," Akio explained.
"What?" Hearing Akio's words, Murata Himeko was stunned. She looked at him and frowned. "How do you know my name? Where is this place? You're definitely the Herrscher of the Void!"
"This world isn't yours, and there's no Honkai here," Akio smiled. "After your battle with Kiana, you fell into the Imaginary Space and were guided to this world by my power."
"Clearly, I found you and saved you," Akio said.
"…" Murata Himeko fell silent, trying to process everything. Suddenly, she looked up and asked, "How do you know so much about us? And if there's no Honkai here, why are you the Herrscher of the Void?"
"I've observed your world. I know everything about your past and future," Akio smiled. "I also came to this world by chance. The power of the Herrscher of the Void is just one of my many abilities."
"As for the rest, I'll explain it to you in detail later. But for now, let's head down. My friends are waiting for me," Akio said.
"Alright," Murata Himeko nodded, still digesting the earth-shattering news. Who could have imagined waking up in another world?
Carrying Murata Himeko, Akio descended rapidly from the Dainichi Mikoshi and soon arrived beside Lumine and Paimon.
"Wow! Akio, you're back?" Paimon flew up happily, then looked at Murata Himeko in his arms and asked curiously, "Huh? Who's this?"
"Hello, I'm Murata Himeko. You can just call me Himeko," Himeko said as she stepped out of Akio's arms and introduced herself.
"Hi there! I'm Paimon, and this is my best partner, Lumine!" Paimon greeted cheerfully. It's a beautiful big sister!
"Akio, is everything alright? That Honkai energy explosion earlier really scared me…" Lumine looked at Akio and asked.
"It's fine now. I've absorbed all the Honkai energy," Akio said, then turned to Murata Himeko with a smile. "Himeko here is the culprit."
"…Sorry," Himeko whispered, knowing that her arrival had brought a massive amount of Honkai energy.
"I've already taken care of it. You don't need to blame yourself too much," Akio said.
"Thank you," Himeko looked at Akio with a hint of gratitude.
"Since everything's fine, Paimon and I will go look for the Bloodbranch Coral now," Lumine said, looking at Akio. "Are you going back first, or…?"
"We'll wait here for you. We'll go back together later," Akio said.
"Alright," Lumine nodded and left with Paimon.
"Now, let's have a chat. What do you want to know?" Akio snapped his fingers, and two chairs appeared beside them.
"Earlier, you said you know the past and future of my world?" Himeko asked. "Then, I want to know, what happens to Kiana and the others in the future?"
Akio looked at Himeko. Even now, the first thing she wanted to ask about was Kiana and the others.
"You can rest assured. Although they faced many difficulties, they will eventually defeat the Honkai. Though the ending isn't perfect," Akio said. "Kiana will become the Herrscher of the End in the future, sealing all the Honkai on the Moon. She will remain there alone, guarding it. Raiden Mei and Bronya will continue to fight for humanity at Schicksal, while Otto Apocalypse will erase his own existence, and Theresa will become the new Overseer of Schicksal."
"Kiana… she's grown up," Himeko said, her heart aching at the thought of that innocent and kind girl becoming the Herrscher of the End and guarding the Moon alone. If that were to happen, Kiana, who loved being around people, would surely feel lonely.
"As her teacher, you've succeeded. If it weren't for your sacrifice, Kiana wouldn't have grown so quickly," Akio said. "You're a qualified teacher."
"Really? I always thought I was an inadequate teacher," Himeko smiled. "After all, Kiana never passed her cultural classes."
"That's not your fault," Akio chuckled. "There's no helping it. Kiana's a bit of a simpleton. Even after becoming the Herrscher of the End, she's still a B-rank Valkyrie at Schicksal because she failed her cultural classes."
"Hahaha!" Himeko laughed. "Simpleton! That's such a fitting description! Kiana really… falls asleep the moment class starts, but she's more active than anyone after class, and she's always the first to eat…"
As she laughed, tears welled up in Himeko's eyes, and her voice softened. "I really want to see her again."
Himeko knew that coming to this world meant she probably couldn't return. She would never see Kiana and the others again in this lifetime.
"Himeko, your duty is complete. You can take a break and enjoy life now," Akio said gently. "This world has no Honkai, so I'd like to invite you to explore its beautiful scenery and culture with me."
"Trust me, this world won't disappoint you," Akio said confidently. When he first arrived in this world, his goals might have been unclear, but now he knew.
He had come to this world not only to be accompanied by beautiful women but also to save this crumbling world for the people he loved and those who loved him. He would also change the stories that once ended imperfectly.
A/N: Enjoying the story? Read 40+ chapters ahead on Patreon! Your support helps: Patreon.com/nneol