ALL NOVEL Chapter 227: Redemption
The Honkai itself lacked consciousness and didn't actively interfere with civilizations.
But the Will of Honkai relentlessly sought humanity's destruction. Ren was its chosen vessel to manifest in the real world. Though it had shifted to Tonatiuh (Star Eater) after Ren was severely injured, the connection between Ren and the Imaginary Tree remained.
Herrschers were the apostles of gods, the sole conduits for the Will of Honkai to interact with reality. To stop Tonatiuh (Star Eater)'s self-detonation, Ren had to reabsorb the divine power back into his body.
However, he couldn't achieve this alone. Kevin had to forcibly merge Tonatiuh (Star Eater) back into him. Even then, it wouldn't be enough to destroy it. A special method was required: Imaginary Reorganization.
This was the very method the Previous Era used to grant the Honkai consciousness. To destroy it, they had to use the same technique.
And the only one capable of this was Kiana, wielder of the Herrscher of the Void's power.
"So, do you understand?"
Having laid out the entire situation, Ren placed his last hope on Kiana.
He sighed at her silence, gently touching his forehead to hers, their gazes locking. At this close proximity, they could hear each other's heartbeats, sense the flow of each other's thoughts.
It was like returning to those dark times, a world devoid of hope, where he wandered aimlessly. He'd thought he'd matured, overcome his lowest point, gained a more rational perspective. Yet, after hearing the truth, Kiana was devastated.
She instinctively wanted to refute him, to protect him from this risk, just as she'd desperately tried to pull him from the darkness and back into the light.
But held close against him, the words caught in her throat.
The world had discarded him, stolen his hope. He hated this world, yet loved it too. He had unfulfilled dreams, things he had to do.
For him, clinging to life wasn't true light; death was his ultimate destination. Like a patient wracked with pain, every day was agony. Accepting death was his release. And before the end, he would find his redemption.
I will fall into darkness, so you can return to the light.
Kiana finally grasped the meaning of his words, their weight.
If Ren was to pursue his light, then Kiana had to be the one to condemn him to darkness.
Did she have the courage to face this darkness, to sing his final lament?
"I... understand." Tears streamed down her face, her voice choked with emotion. She embraced him tightly, a final moment of warmth before the coming storm.
Ren let her hold him, ruefully stroking her white hair. "Don't be so sad. It's not certain death, you know. I'm a Herrscher. If I can preserve my consciousness within my Core, perhaps we'll meet again someday. Though by then, you'll probably have forgotten me. After all, we've only known each other for a few months..."
Yes, such a short time, such a long road ahead. After I break free, will I ever remember a time when I was driven by emotion?
Ren wanted to say more, but her sobs drowned out his thoughts. He looked at Kevin, ready and waiting, and nodded. Then, gently, he disentangled himself from her embrace.
He walked towards the storm, not looking back.
Without Kiana's warmth, the world felt truly cold.
He thought to himself.
…
The darkness in the sky spread, now visible across the entire Eastern Hemisphere.
It slowly eclipsed the warm sun, threatening to replace it.
At Schicksal HQ, Otto stood by the window, a glass of wine in hand, gazing at the sky. He hadn't anticipated Ren's bargain to involve a crisis of this magnitude. But he had entrusted the weapon of salvation to Kiana, done all he could. Now, it was the savior's time to shine.
Whether the world lived or died was no longer his concern. He would steer Schicksal, his Noah's Ark, towards the world where Kallen still lived.
The black sun now covered most of the sun's disc, casting a pall over the sky.
"A solar eclipse? But the observatory didn't forecast one for today." Countless people looked up in curiosity at the unusual astronomical phenomenon.
News outlets were flooded with reports of the eclipse, doomsday rumors spreading like wildfire across social media.
The black sun exuded a palpable sense of dread.
Those with weaker constitutions trembled, praying it was just an ordinary eclipse. Even ordinary people sensed something amiss, unable to focus on their work. Only the truly reckless celebrated, embracing the potential end.
"Mommy, I'm scared." A child whimpered in their mother's arms. It was as if a switch had been flipped. Car horns blared, angry shouts filled the air, everyone venting their unease.
Finally, the sun's light vanished completely, plunging the world into darkness.
Fear, despair, gripped every heart.
A crying child, tears blurring their vision, looked up at the black sky, their sobs gradually fading.
"Mommy, there's a star."
"A star?"
The mother followed the child's gaze, also spotting the single, shining white star.
A moment later, another star appeared. Their light was faint, yet in the all-encompassing darkness, even the smallest flicker shone brilliantly.
…
Tonatiuh (Star Eater) had swelled to an immense size, blotting out the sky. Even if it didn't detonate, half the Earth would be plunged into perpetual twilight.
"Are you sure about this?" Even Kevin sounded uncertain.
Though Ren's understanding of Imaginary Reorganization suggested he knew the Imaginary Tree, this concerned the fate of half the world. The slightest misstep would spell doom for humanity.
Ren didn't answer, his eyes closed, sensing the shifts within Imaginary Space.
The long-dormant Theater of Dominance stirred, invisible threads pulling at every corner.
Arc City, the Sea of Quanta, Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, World Serpent.
All the puppets Ren had placed across the world looked up, towards the Herrscher of Dominance. Their power converged, flowing into him, a torrent of images flooding his mind.
Finally, the images shattered like bubbles, leaving only an infinitely tall, golden tree.
Standing amidst the crimson sands of Imaginary Space, Ren broke free from the binding roots and snapped his fingers.
Snap.
Ren opened his eyes.
Blinding light erupted from Kevin in his Judgment of Shamash form, a raging inferno igniting around Ren.
The crimson Gem of Haste spun faster and faster, transforming into a streak of light, piercing the endless darkness.
In that instant, everyone gazing at the sky saw two brilliant suns emerge from the darkness.
One white, one gold.
The cold, white light in Kevin's hand, channeled through the Might of An-Utu, coalesced into a massive sword, cleaving through Tonatiuh (Star Eater)'s core. The now-mindless Tonatiuh cried out in anguish, chaotic black light spilling forth like a yolk from a broken egg.
Yet, it continued to regenerate, accelerating its self-detonation.
At that precise moment, Ren transformed into a blazing inferno, plunging into the chaotic mass, completely consumed by Tonatiuh (Star Eater).
The two briefly shining stars vanished, the world falling silent.
"The end...?"
Amidst countless whispered fears, the first rays of sunlight pierced the darkness, illuminating Kiana's face.
It had worked.