The End, or Perhaps Not Quite

Remiel was once again pinned to the wall by the spear. The world of dreams began to show signs of blurring. With the help of Seele, Aponia, and other psychic Fusion Warrior, Remiel was vying for control of the dream world from within. With the help of Zhu Yufeng and Remiel was forced to consume her dreams to compensate for the damage she had suffered. Meanwhile, Kosma continued to devour the bridges connecting the many dreams that were about to merge with the dream world, hindering their fusion with the dream world.

Remiel looked down at the spear nailed to her body. She had no physical form and did not know what pain was. In her battle with Zhu Yufeng, she never fought with all her might, or rather, she basically did not take any offensive measures and only defended.

This time, instead of using the power of her dreams to dissolve the spear piercing her chest, she looked at Zhu Yufeng asked him again, "Do you... love humans?"

There was no other meaning behind it; it was simply a question.

Zhu Yufeng didn't intend to continue discussing this with Remiel. He was ready to finish Remiel off once again, but Su stopped him. "Wait a minute, Feng. Our main goal is not to fight Remiel to the death, and... she seems to have given up on competing with Seele for the Dream World."

By relentlessly engaging Remiel head-on to draw most of her attention, they could buy Seele and Kosma enough time and space to perform. However, this also consumed the mental energy of the other humans who had been devoured into the dream world. In other words, if the fight continued, as long as Remiel kept overdrawing the mental energy of the other humans in the dream world before Remiel died, those humans would definitely die before Remiel.

No plan can be made without sacrifice, and everyone has become accustomed to it and should be able to accept it. However... Su stared at Remiel with his eyes open. This Herrscher gave him a very strange feeling. He didn't have the malice of the Eighth Herrscher in his previous life, nor the hysterical resistance of the other Herrscher.

Throughout the entire process, whether it was using the simulated weapons to attack humans or merging all the dream worlds into one, Remiel's attitude was somewhat too indifferent, or rather, it would be more appropriate to describe it as emotionless.

She just felt she needed to do it, so she did it.

Remiel was almost completely indifferent to the Fire Moth' battle plan against her, and her attitude towards resistance was quite passive.

The Present, she has completely given up using other people's dreams to fill her own body, and has given up the struggle for control of the dream world, allowing Seele to gradually take control of this world.

This Herrscher... seems a bit "depressed"?

Regardless, Remiel, as the theoretically first Herrscher of Sentience in our memories, seems quite different from the Herrscher who appeared before. Is it because she was born as a collection of Stigmata?

Sue pondered this in her heart, while Remiel, seeing that they had also stopped what they were doing, asked again, "You... don't you love humans?"

Su looked at Zhu Yufeng. From the beginning, he had noticed that Remiel's attitude towards Zhu Yufeng was abnormal. Remiel did not even glance at him when he was helping Zhu Yufeng, and Remiel was not only passive in his confrontation with Zhu Yufeng, but also tried to talk to Zhu Yufeng during the battle.

So this "you" undoubtedly refers to Zhu Yufeng.

As for the answer to this question, Su herself had a general idea. Zhu Yufeng was a transmigrator, so he didn't have a strong sense of belonging to this world. He didn't think he would have much affection for the people in this world. The concept of loving humanity was too far removed from Zhu Yufeng. He didn't love humanity as a group, but... he would love individuals.

The individual he loves loves human civilization and loves humanity, so he will protect humanity.

It's fortunate that Feng fell in love with Elysia first; if it were Lilith instead, the two of them would probably have run away together long ago, abandoning humanity's fate.

So what's wrong with the Maple lovers? At least Maple can save the world...

"I don't love humans." Zhu Yufeng gave the answer he had been too lazy to give to Remiel before very simply. "The people I love are humans, so I will fight for humans."

The golden spear on Remiel's body dissipated, and she landed on the ground. Her gaze towards Zhu Yufeng was even more puzzled. "I... can't see your memories, I can't see your thoughts. However, what I do know is that in your heart, Lilith and Elysia are people who hold a very high place. This is the only emotion I can see. Is it them you love?"

"Yes." Zhu Yufeng admitted it readily. Anyway, he had already given up on his mindset, and he probably couldn't get rid of the "scumbag" label anyway, so why not just admit it? The Present, Lilith and Elysia both occupy a very important and irreplaceable place in his heart.

Although Mobius and the others are also important to her, when it comes to choosing between them, only Elysia and Lilith are in a league of their own.

"Is that so..." Remiel lowered his eyes. "So, I am an enemy of humanity, so you want to kill me, right? Even if we are supposed to be compatriots?"

This... could it be considered the Eighth Herrscher's official recognition that she is a Herrscher?

"But many of them stayed voluntarily." Remiel looked at the distant sky, which was gradually becoming blurry, his tone still filled with doubt. "I was born from the desires of humanity. I exist to fulfill their desires. Some of them wanted legs to run freely, some wanted eyes to see the world, some wanted to leave the disinfectant-smelling wards and see the outside world... I... fulfilled them all. I responded to them. Was I... wrong?"

"Your starting point may be correct," Su said. "However, you will kill them in the real world, and for most humans, they don't have the ability to distinguish the connection between your dream and their reality. Life is like sailing on a sea of suffering. If you suddenly find a beautiful world that fulfills your desires, very few people would choose to return to the world they came from."

Remiel just looked at Zhu Yufeng and ignored Su.

Su smiled helplessly. Perhaps... Remiel, as a Herrscher consciousness born from pure Honkai the Present, has not even been around for a month. If she had to trust anyone, she would probably choose to trust Zhu Yufeng, a fellow Herrscher who is similar to her.

Thinking about this, Su hesitated again. If this was the case, with proper guidance, the Eighth Herrscher could also become their companion. Her dream might indeed captivate most people, or it could serve as a soothing dream for warriors after a day of fighting.

But... can we really trust the Herrscher?

Although there are three examples, only Elysia is a pure Herrscher in the strict sense. Zhu Yufeng's birth method is unknown, and his human nature is related to Elysia. Lilith will obviously not stand on the side of humanity. Her position is purely on Zhu Yufeng. If Zhu Yufeng does not support her, then she is the enemy of humanity.

As for Seele, she should be considered a former Herrscher's prototype, not Herrscher.

From a personal perspective, Su doesn't consider Zhu Yufeng or Elysia to be Herrscher, but rather human beings who are his fellow human beings. Lilith, on the other hand, seems more like a Herrscher fits the definition of common sense.

It is speculated that Elysia was also born from pure Honkai, which is consistent with the Eighth Herrscher. However, the difference is that Elysia does not have any specific powers, while Remiel's powers are consistent with the characteristics of those Herrscher of Sequence who are hostile to humanity.

Having experienced Uriel's betrayal, even Sue would find it difficult to have enough trust in a stranger's Herrscher.

While Su was thinking, Zhu Yufeng glanced at him and said, "Su is right."

"Is that so..." Remiel seemed to be deep in thought. "So, my existence is a mistake? Human desires are actually wrong?"

Zhu Yufeng frowned and said, "Human desires are the root and driving force of human progress. Only in order to realize their desires can human civilization continuously advance. What you have done is to allow them to get what they need without any effort. Desires are not wrong, but what you have given them will only bring laziness and destruction."

Remiel looked up at the sky and after a long while said, "What kind of feeling is love? To hope to see the person you love every day, to hope to experience every day with the person you love, to hope to spend the rest of your life with the person you love... Is this love?"

Zhu Yufeng remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Remiel's gaze drifted into the distance, where she seemed to see Kosma, desperately trying to prevent the dreams of others from merging with hers, and Disaster, assisting Seele in awakening others...

"Love can make people endure pain that ordinary people cannot bear, and can make people give up readily available desires and choose to continue to face the cruel reality with the one they love..." Remiel said to himself, "You Lilith, and you Elysia. You don't care about the thoughts and choices of others, but you are willing to bow down to them... So, I... do not love humans, and I do not love anyone."

Zhu Yufeng watched as Remiel's body gradually became ethereal, the golden spear reappearing in his hand. He feared Remiel was using a trick to escape, and Su immediately tensed up, ready to lock onto Remiel. However, they both quickly realized that Remiel hadn't chosen to flee, but instead...

Self-elimination?

Remiel continued muttering to himself, "I don't love humans. I don't care what their wishes are. I only exist to respond to their wishes, only to fulfill their wishes. I don't care whether their wishes are grand or small; I will fulfill them all. Therefore, human civilization rejects me. Therefore, humans don't need me. Therefore, my existence is wrong..."

Zhu Yufeng and Su exchanged a glance, their expressions somewhat complicated.

"My fellow beings love individual humans, and I can also sense another former being who is now fighting against me. She chose to be human, but I love neither humans nor any individual. Therefore, my fellow beings reject me; they see me as an enemy. Therefore, my existence is meaningless." Remiel closed his eyes. "So... I shouldn't exist..."

Zhu Yufeng: "???"

How did you arrive at this conclusion? I understood the earlier parts, so how did you suddenly jump to the suicide part?

Su frowned slightly. He made a decision. In any case, Remiel was essentially a newborn child. Even if she didn't love humans, she craved the recognition and belonging of her fellow humans. So... he decided to let Feng take care of the baby from now on. After all, he was a professional at taking care of babies.

But just as he was about to restrain Remiel and tell Zhu Yufeng his thoughts, Remiel's body had already completely dissipated. In the end, in the Eighth Herrscher's dream, the Eighth Herrscher is the absolute ruler. If Remiel hadn't refrained from taking any active fighting measures from beginning to end, the battle between Zhu Yufeng and Remiel would have become extremely difficult. And now that Remiel was determined to make his existence disappear, Su had no way to stop him.

"No." Zhu Yufeng looked up; the dream's boundary was gradually crumbling. "She merely created a human form; her essence is the main boundary of this dream..."

"She chose self-destruction, so her essence will naturally disintegrate..." Su's expression was somewhat complicated. "Feng, do you think it's possible that she could become our companion?"

Zhu Yufeng remained silent, watching as the buildings in the dream world gradually turned into particles of light and dissipated. His and Su's bodies also began to fade and disappear, a sign that they were about to leave this world and return to the real world.

"Perhaps... but in essence, she is still the same as other Herrscher of the Sequence. She cannot resonate with humans, she cannot understand humans, she is just... mechanically pursuing her reason for existence," Zhu Yufeng said.

"Yes... she is not an enemy of humanity, but her very existence is an enemy of humanity..." Su closed her eyes and sighed softly.

In the real world.

Admil looked at the data on the instrument, then glanced at the other Stigmata Awakeners, and muttered to himself, "The Eighth Herrscher... it ended faster than I expected... Next, it'll be time to retrieve the Divine Key, but retrieving them from the imaginary space... that's truly unprecedented..."

After that, he'll have to think about whether he'll get a beating when things are settled later.

"Wait, this fluctuation..."

In the Stigmata Space.

Lilith stood before the central sphere of light, watching it gradually disintegrate. She reached out her hand, and a stream of light flowed from the sphere towards her hand.

She then looked at Kosma, who was collapsing in the distance. He seemed to be nearing the limit of his mental exhaustion, but he was still holding on with a strong will. Lilith shrugged, then clapped her hands lightly, and the ball of light completely dissipated. All the scattered dreams also vanished like bubbles at this moment.

"Now, we'll even have the same dream every night, don't you think, Feng?"

"Anyway, anything can happen in a dream, right?"