Herrscher of Dominance in Honkai, starting with the abduction of Kiana

Like a glacier rising from the earth, the city trembled. A flicker of light, the Cosmic Juggernaut, crafted from the Previous Era's Herrscher of the Void's core, pierced the shattered void, hurtling towards the material world.

But the damaged space, strained by the rising ice, threatened to collapse, potentially trapping the Cosmic Juggernaut in the turbulent spatial currents.

Just as Kevin was about to succeed, a golden light flashed, transforming into a massive black and white lance, colliding with the ice.

"This lance… pierces the very stars!"

The impact reverberated through the air, the collision of two titans shaking the very fabric of space.

But the battle raging above was a distant echo to Kiana. Her world had narrowed to a single figure. She landed beside Ren, her legs giving way as she sank to the ground.

Ren was covered in blood, black ice shards piercing his skin, the crimson flow hissing as it met the frozen surface.

Kiana reached out, her hand hovering over him, afraid to touch him, afraid he would shatter like porcelain.

Tears streamed down her face, freezing into icy beads as they fell.

Perhaps sensing her presence, Ren stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He looked at Kiana, his expression a grimace.

"I'm fine. I'm the Herrscher of Flames. A little cold won't kill me."

Relief washed over Kiana. "You scared me! I'll get you out of this!"

But the black ice was too dense. Kiana, drained of energy, couldn't break it. She pressed her hand against the ice, trying to melt it with her body heat, the cold seeping into her, numbing her fingers.

She didn't stop. With a final, desperate effort, she managed to snap a single shard, but dozens more remained embedded in Ren's body.

Her body temperature plummeted, her movements slowing, despair creeping in. She even tried using her teeth, but it was no use. "I'll save you! I can save you!" she muttered, her lips turning blue.

Ren didn't stop her. It was futile. She needed to understand the enemy's power, to learn the importance of caution.

He watched the battle raging in the sky, a flicker of regret in his eyes.

"Kiana, there's something I need to tell you."

Kiana's pale face hardened. She knew. "I don't want to hear it. Tell me later, after we leave, okay?"

"I've been lying to you. I—" He coughed, blood splattering onto the ice. Honkai fissures spread across his neck and face.

"Please… don't…"

Ren was never one for long speeches. He kept his thoughts, his plans, hidden. But now, with so much he wanted to say, Kiana knew. These were his last words.

"I'm sorry, Kiana. I couldn't escape its grasp. The Will of the Honkai… it was always there, watching…" His voice grew weaker, his vision blurring, the voice of the Honkai echoing in his mind.

Humanity's understanding of the Will of the Honkai was superficial. They saw it as a god, a force of nature, but they had never considered that even a god could think, could plan.

It had never taken its eyes off Ren, choosing instead to infiltrate his very being.

The puppets, the Herrscher of Dominance's most potent ability, born from the despair of countless ordinary people.

Even Ren hadn't anticipated this. The Will of the Honkai had taken a human form, infiltrating his puppets. A being capable of destroying civilizations, of controlling Herrschers, had chosen to become a part of him, to observe him, to learn his secrets.

Despicable? By human standards, yes. But for the Honkai, it was merely another method of achieving its goal—the destruction of human civilization.

Kevin had been right. Destruction was merely the most obvious manifestation of the Honkai. Its true power lay in its ability to corrupt, to destroy civilization from within.

"Go. It's awakening. My body is losing control. You'll be in danger if you stay."

Sensing Ren's impending death, the Will of the Honkai finally shed its disguise, attempting to seize control of his body, invading his mind.

The Honkai energy within him surged, the Gem of Haste a conduit for its awakening. The already overflowing Honkai energy poured out of him like a flood.

Kiana felt the change, but she refused to let go, desperately trying to melt the ice.

As Ren's body temperature rose, the previously unbreakable ice began to melt. But Kiana felt no joy. She placed her hand on his forehead, recoiling from the burning heat.

The Will of the Honkai wouldn't allow its host to die.

His blood evaporated, then vaporized. Kiana clung to his hand, her fingers burning. In minutes, Ren, on the brink of death, was revitalized.

But it was a grotesque parody of life, a mindless existence. The Will of the Honkai was transforming him, erasing his consciousness, turning him into a weapon of pure destruction.

"Let go."

"No." Tears streamed down Kiana's face, evaporating before they could reach the ground.

Her azure eyes reflected the flames. "You said you were a moth drawn to the flame, that I would be burned if I got too close. But now… you've become the inferno."

"But I won't let go. I'll carry your flame."

"I still have so much to ask you, so many friends I want you to meet, so many things to tell you…"

But Ren's gray eyes had closed, his short hair tinged with crimson, a terrifying power building within him.

"Ren…?"

Silence. The boy lay still, as if dead.

The ice melted completely, the ground beneath them igniting.

But the flames parted around Kiana, a final act of tenderness.