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

Chapter 220: The Final Battle, Part 4



Drip.

Dark clouds spread across the Pacific, shedding their first tears upon the ocean's surface.

Beneath the waves, driven by a primal fear, schools of fish scattered.

A young fish, its attention caught by a falling raindrop, rose to the surface, gazing up at the darkened sky.

But its simple mind couldn't comprehend the looming threat, the encroaching darkness, mistaking it for a storm, a tidal wave. It lingered behind the fleeing school, watching as its world collapsed.

BOOM!

A massive wave, dozens of meters high, crashed down, obliterating everything in its path. A wave of frigid air followed, freezing the churning water, encasing the scattered remains of the young fish, its dreams of the sky forever extinguished, in a tomb of ice.

A blinding white light pierced the earth, like a divine blade purging all evil.

Nagazora, already ravaged, couldn't withstand the force of Kevin's attack. The earth, centered around Ren, vaporized.

Schicksal and Anti-Entropy mecha units, locked in battle, were erased in the flash of light. Raven, fleeing the battlefield, was thrown from her vehicle, landing in the ocean. She didn't hesitate, scrambling aboard a nearby transport ship, retreating as quickly as possible.

When the light faded, a gaping chasm remained, deep and dark, fissures spreading outwards like spiderwebs, carving deep scars into the earth.

Despite the intense heat generated by Kevin's Judgement of Shamash: Might of An-Utu, snow began to fall. A wave of frigid air, radiating from the chasm, froze the ruined city.

The Judgement of Shamash brought destruction, but it was Kevin's own power, the power of the Honkai ice, that was the true threat to a Herrscher, capable of freezing even their cores.

The legacy of Parvati, amplified within Kevin, manifested in a terrifying display of power.

The ice spread outwards from Nagazora, reaching the Pacific coast. If not for Mexicatl's influence, the entire archipelago would have been frozen solid.

Kevin exhaled, the now extinguished Judgement of Shamash disappearing. He looked down at the frozen city, searching for any trace of the Herrscher's presence.

Silence. No sign of Ren. A flicker of relief crossed Kevin's eyes as he shifted his gaze.

Nagazora lay silent, encased in ice.

A sudden crack. A section of the ice covering a pile of rubble shattered, a golden light erupting from within.

Durandal, clad in her Dea Anchora battlesuit, carrying Kiana, emerged from the ice, the glacier behind them collapsing.

Kevin watched them silently, the extinguished Judgement of Shamash reforming in his hand.

"World Serpent." Durandal's voice was low, her grip tightening on her Black Abyss White Flower as she held Kiana with her other arm.

"Hand over the Herrscher of the Void. I've given you enough chances."

"Never!"

Even having witnessed Kevin's overwhelming power, Durandal didn't flinch. She was a warrior, first and foremost. She would honor her promise, no matter the odds.

Gently lowering Kiana to the ground, Bianka soared into the sky, her lance a golden streak, engaging Kevin once more, resuming their interrupted battle.

Kiana's azure eyes were dull, lifeless. The white light hadn't just killed Ren, it had extinguished her hope. Her mind numb, she stumbled towards the edge of the chasm.

A bottomless abyss, filled with darkness. No sign of Ren.

The star bracelet in her hand was cold, the missing piece a constant reminder of their broken connection.

"Ren…"

Her voice was a raspy whisper. She clawed at the ground, her heart shattering, the pain stealing her breath.

Unnoticed, a golden light flickered in her eyes, black tendrils spreading through her white hair.

The Honkai never truly vanished. It merely changed form.

The people of the Previous Era, in a desperate gamble, had used Project Prometheus as a Trojan horse, infecting the Honkai, creating a singular consciousness across countless parallel worlds. This collective of Imaginary fragments formed the Will of the Honkai. It gave the Honkai purpose, allowing it to systematically destroy civilizations.

But even Kevin hadn't anticipated this. The Will of the Honkai was no longer a mindless force of destruction. It had learned, adapted, its first lesson from Ren himself – deception. It had learned to hide, to feign death.

Ren was more than just a Herrscher to the Honkai. He was a primordial consciousness, capable of creating Herrschers, of learning their knowledge. He was the perfect subject. The Will of the Honkai wouldn't allow him to die so easily.

Deep within the chasm, Ren's eyes snapped open.

During the 2nd Eruption, the Will of the Honkai had shielded Sirin from Fu Hua's attack. Shielding Ren from Kevin's attack was a trivial matter. And, having observed Ren, it had learned to feign death, suppressing all traces of his Herrscher aura.

But Kevin's attack had been too powerful. The fragment of the Will of the Honkai protecting Ren could no longer maintain its presence within his damaged body, dissipating, its energy seeping into the surrounding environment.

Space distorted. Tonatiuh, the puppet Ren had acquired months earlier, was pulled from the Sea of Quanta, becoming the Will of the Honkai's new vessel. Mimicking Ren's creation of Kosma, it fused the normally incompatible energies of the Imaginary and the Sea of Quanta, creating a new monstrosity.

Imaginary Construct: Husk - Tonatiuh (Star Eater).

Even the lava at the bottom of the chasm was frozen solid. Ren lay motionless, his body drained, watching Nihilus (Star Eater) ascend, his eyes empty, devoid of light.

Then, silence. His gray eyes flickered, turning gold, the complex markings of the Imaginary Tree spreading across his irises.

In the Imaginary space, the golden tree shimmered, its roots entwined around Ren's true self, a smile playing on his lips.

The Will of the Honkai, distracted, had finally shifted its gaze. His chance had come.


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