Chapter 9: The Honkai Nobody Wants

Sirin and Kiana, at their core, are two distinct personalities sharing the same soul.

Though their existence differs greatly from Bai Qi and Ren's, both pairs can coexist within the Mysterious Space.

Any change to the soul is instantly shared by both personalities.

It felt as if the river of time were flowing backward. Long-eroded memories resurfaced within their soul, and Bai Qi's past experiences flooded their minds like a raging torrent.

Within the Mysterious Space, vibrant light swirled, transforming the overwhelming tidal wave of memories into the gentle warmth of a mountain spring bathed in sunlight.

To put it simply, it was as if a consciousness stripped of its memories, after forming a new personality, was now reclaiming its past.

Not only were the lost and forgotten memories restored, but their individual memories also synchronized.

Combining the information gleaned from the Mysterious Space, Bai Qi finally understood why Sirin and Kiana were so reluctant to take him seriously, and why Kanae Kocho had been so indifferent.

The Mysterious Space had replicated his soul countless times, creating perfect and complete copies across every dimension!

But Bai Qi was just an ordinary person. How could an ordinary soul possibly wander through the Multiverse unscathed?

The vast majority of soul fragments that leaked from the Mysterious Space were completely annihilated in the turbulent currents of spacetime. Only a tiny fraction managed to penetrate the World Barrier and survive.

Even those survivors mostly lost their memories.

For someone like "Sirin" to retain a few years of memories was an almost unbelievable stroke of luck. As for Bai Qi, who had transmigrated as Kanae Kocho, his memories had been nearly completely erased.

The only thing that remained was his core self, practically imprinted onto his soul.

This core self dictated that even if these fragments transmigrated into female bodies, they would never develop romantic or sexual interest in men.

Even if they did fall in love, their only possible romantic partners would be women!

And then there was the special attitude towards "himself" etched into his very soul.

One could only say that Bai Qi's narcissism had reached a whole new level!

His gaze scattered, his mind in turmoil. After a long while, Bai Qi finally cradled his head and let out a long sigh.

"I never imagined synchronizing memories would feel like this. Thank goodness for the Mysterious Space's protection, or else..."

It wasn't like watching a movie from a third-person perspective; it was a complete synchronization, a fully immersive first-person experience where he even felt the emotions present in the memory scenes.

If not for the Mysterious Space's shielding and buffering, the shock of memory synchronization might have made Bai Qi believe he was Sirin or Kiana.

Their Id remained Bai Qi's, and their Ego had regained memories of their past life as him. But having been reborn as Sirin and Kiana, they were ultimately different from him.

Gender identity was just one aspect.

The relationship between memories, personality, and self-perception wasn't a simple black-and-white issue. A deeper discussion would inevitably lead to the philosophical paradox known as the Ship of Theseus.

One thing remained undeniable: they were all Bai Qi, all one and the same person!

Accompanying the memories and self-awareness came the all-encompassing power of Honkai energy, the authority to manipulate imaginary space, and enhancements to his mental strength, physical prowess, and combat skills.

The Mysterious Space imposed no limitations, but even the most skilled craftsman can't make bricks without straw.

Ordinary merging couldn't achieve the same profound fusion that Ren had attained upon returning to her origin.

In the material world, Bai Qi lacked the Kaslana family's physical body and naturally couldn't possess their terrifying superhuman strength.

Without the Herrscher of the Void's Core, he couldn't wield the full extent of spatial authority.

Each aspect of the merged power operated under its own unique rules and influences.

In summary, Bai Qi acquired one hundred percent of Sirin's Honkai energy, approximately fifty percent of her spatial authority, and about twenty percent of Kiana's physical capabilities.

"A paramecium?! Is that... me?!"

Kiana's eyes widened in disbelief, her face contorted with unexpected shock. She shook her head vehemently in denial. "No, no! This young lady isn't some paramecium!"

As she spoke, Kiana, who had been turned away, hiding her body behind her waist-length, snow-white hair, visibly relaxed. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

Shedding all restraint, Kiana strode confidently toward Bai Qi, her long, shapely legs moving with effortless grace. Her light, carefree steps and confident demeanor brought to mind a certain meme:

Don't be fooled by 3D women!

Even after indulging in nightly "rewards" these past few days, Bai Qi still felt a surge of heat rising to his face, dazzled by Kiana's radiant, jade-like skin and delicate features.

Kiana clearly sensed the intense meaning behind Bai Qi's scorching gaze, a gaze so intense it felt almost tangible.

Bathed in his fiery stare, an unfamiliar sensation flickered through her. Her cheeks flushed slightly, yet she made no attempt to cover herself.

"After all those baths I've taken in your memory, haven't you seen enough?" Kiana teased playfully, her slender white finger tapping Bai Qi's cheek with a soft, playful jab, her voice a mix of teasing and flirtation.

The silken touch of her fingertip felt like liquid jade, and her uniquely girlish fragrance seeped into his heart. Bai Qi shrugged noncommittally. "I haven't had a chance to appreciate the details properly yet."

Watching from the sidelines, Kanae blinked in utter bewilderment, her expression a mixture of disbelief and confusion.

"What's going on?!"

"You just shook hands... How did that turn into this casual, intimate relationship?"

Kanae's face was a mask of confusion and irritation. Seeing her bewildered expression, Sirin still reached out and placed a small hand on Kanae's smooth, rounded shoulder.

The moment their skin touched, all three froze.

Kiana and Sirin shared the same soul.

Kanae's expression suddenly went blank as fragmented memories resurfaced. Her demure, Yamato Nadeshiko features slowly registered realization.

"So that's how it is..." Kanae murmured, a mixture of laughter and tears in her voice.

No longer shrinking behind her long hair, she glided forward on cotton-soft steps to stand before them.

"Is this what they mean by 'Today I finally know who I am'?"

"Something's wrong!"

Just as Bai Qi was about to respond, Sirin's voice rang out, still proud but utterly devoid of coldness.

"Huh? What is it?" Bai Qi turned to her, puzzled.

Sirin didn't answer, but naturally took Bai Qi's hand.

Bai Qi frowned slightly.

After Sirin and Kanae made physical contact, Kanae's memories as Bai Qi's former self had been awakened, and their memories began to synchronize.

However, this synchronization was far weaker than the one between Bai Qi and Sirin. While it was still experienced from a first-person perspective rather than a third-person view, it lacked the original emotional depth.

Moreover, only a minuscule fraction of their powers had synchronized.

Playing with Sirin's slender hand, Bai Qi wore a thoughtful expression. Sirin merely glanced at him with her golden eyes, offering no resistance.

After a moment's contemplation, Bai Qi extended his palm to Kanae Kocho. Without hesitation, she placed her pale hand in his.

Kanae's light purple eyes widened slightly. "This is..."

With Bai Qi holding her hand, Sirin finally understood what was happening.

If each transmigrator named "Bai Qi" could be considered a signal source, then the Bai Qi of this world was the central base station, with the Mysterious Space Nexus acting as the core of his soul.

Without Bai Qi's presence, ordinary signal sources could still exchange data—sharing memories, abilities, physical attributes, and more—but only to a limited extent.

In simpler terms, the bandwidth was insufficient!

Only by connecting through Bai Qi, the primary base station, could memories and abilities be shared to their fullest potential.

This also served as a protective mechanism. Without the safeguarding of the Mysterious Space Nexus, deep memory sharing could easily blur one's sense of self.

"Excellent! With this, we can finally eradicate Muzan for good!" Kanae Kocho clenched her small, pink fist, feeling the immense Honkai energy surging within her. "We'll wipe out those demons completely!"

Bai Qi's memories had been completely erased, and the young girl, born with a nearly pure-white soul into the Apothecary's House, had come to regard her adoptive parents in this world as her biological parents.

Her parents had been killed by demons.

However, when Kanae attempted to return to her original world using the methods from Bai Qi's memories, she encountered overwhelming resistance!

"Why?"

At that moment, Bai Qi, Sirin, and Kanae were holding hands, their minds completely connected.

When Bai Qi repeated Kanae's actions, he encountered the same resistance, followed by feedback from the Mysterious Space.

The world rules of Demon Slayer were blocking them. The reason was obvious: Honkai.

This virus-like mechanism was being resisted by other universes as fiercely as humanity resists COVID-19.

If the World Consciousness could speak, it would likely burst out in anger: "What the hell is this trash?! Stay away from me! Don't bring that filth into my home!"

"Ah, um..." The feedback from the Mysterious Space echoed through Bai Qi and the others' minds. Kanae opened her mouth, unsure what to say.

She felt the World's decision was justified. If they brought Honkai energy back, it would be like a stubborn plaster—impossible to remove.

She could easily kill Muzan, but that would plunge humanity into an even greater disaster.

"Alright, don't forget about me! The Edel Raid's power is more than enough to obliterate Muzan."

It was true that an Edel Raid could only synchronize with one person, but they were all essentially the same being!

"Right! And Ren too... Wait a minute!"

The sheer volume of restored and synchronized memories had overwhelmed Sirin, Kiana, and Kanae , leaving them no time to process everything properly. As a result, they hadn't realized something crucial.

But now that the conversation had turned to Ren, the relevant memories resurfaced.

In an instant, the three young girls' bodies trembled as if struck by lightning. Their breathing grew heavy, and a seductive mist clouded their eyes. With incredibly subtle, meaningful expressions, they turned to look at Bai Qi, who stood at the center.

Without a doubt, they had accessed Bai Qi and Ren's memories of their nightly "self-reward" sessions over the past few days.

Self-cest...? That's just... utterly perverse!

And Bai Qi had wasted no time. On the very first night he got Ren, they both lost their innocence.

He was shockingly decisive.

Of course, if they had regained their memories beforehand, they probably would have done the same without hesitation.

"Calling myself a pervert? Fair enough. But if that's what it takes, so be it!" Bai Qi shrugged nonchalantly, then wrapped his left arm around Kiana and his right around Kanae Kocho. The young girls' slender waists felt firm and smooth, like sculpted jade.

Especially Kiana's—her waist was truly a treasure of human civilization!

As for why he wasn't embracing Sirin?

She was fully clothed.

Kiana and Kanae exchanged glances, their pale cheeks flushing with a tipsy blush. Jealousy? Impossible. We're all him. What's there to be jealous of?

But as young girls, a touch of shyness was inevitable. Still, they wouldn't refuse Bai Qi for anything, even if he decided to start something right then and there.

"Wait! This isn't the time for that. You can play with me later. Right now, saving Teacher Himeko is our top priority!"

Kiana's signature white armor materialized, enveloping her delicate, jade-like body. She turned to Sirin, her expression complex.

"The God-Slaying Spear has been injected... Even with my cooperation, we can't precisely deploy the imaginary space. The only way..." Sirin's gaze shifted to Bai Qi.

"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry!" Bai Qi vanished in an instant.