Herrscher of Reason Arc: Pity

It is unfathomable.

To personally shape a pitiful, despairing girl into a detestable yet sentient demon.

To send her into the path of that person's blade, and then to show him her past.

You pity her? Haha, she was killed by your own hands!

This is God's malice. The moment Gu Yan appeared, God turned the Herrscher of Reason into a pawn, intending to remind him—

The Herrscher of Possession is not under my control, but you, you are within my grasp.

But is that really the case?

[Is it over?]

As soon as the thought surfaced, Gu Yan felt something inject into his body from his arm, and the pain instantly overwhelmed his consciousness.

Pain!

It felt like being cut by a blade, then having the wound torn open with bare hands, exposing the bone, and then having the flesh and bone separated inch by inch.

A literal metamorphosis.

"Ugh!"

Gu Yan forced his eyes open, finding himself in another scene. The girl was writhing in pain, held firmly on a surgical table.

Her nervous system was extremely sensitive, and consequently, the pain she experienced was dozens of times more severe than that of a normal person. She also had a high resistance to anesthetics, making them difficult to take effect at non-lethal doses.

Gu Yan was experiencing this torment as well.

No, not only that. The physical agony was just one part; the fear and powerlessness were the most terrifying. Bound to the operating table, her body at the mercy of others, the girl's despair drowned her, making her wish for immediate death.

[Won't someone save her!]

Gu Yan wanted to shout, but the pain ravaged his consciousness. His words and actions were isolated from the girl's space; no one knew, no one cared.

He truly understood this despair.

"Let me go, let me go..."

The sound of pleading came from the girl's lips, but her faint voice was unheard by anyone.

Except Gu Yan.

He too struggled amidst the mixture of pain and despair. As an excellent observer, he naturally had to experience it firsthand.

"How is it? Is it working?"

"Not yet. Too few times, too short a duration."

"It's fine. The test subject is alive and well, there are plenty of opportunities!"

The pain gradually faded. The girl had already been through countless cycles of fainting and waking from the pain.

The surrounding scene shattered again, and Gu Yan was able to regain his composure.

[No wonder she was so afraid.]

The girl's figure reappeared. There were no lights around; it seemed to be nighttime, during rest hours.

"You've been watching, right? Please, save me!"

Gu Yan was startled, not understanding how he had been discovered, but he quickly realized the girl wasn't talking to him.

Then who could it be?

He looked around but saw no one. However, relying on their shared senses, he located that presence.

"I'm so scared, please..."

Her consciousness was like a vast, deep universe, but It descended here gently. An invisible hand brushed away the girl's unease and fear. The girl couldn't see It, but Its presence was everywhere.

It was omnipotent.

There were no sounds, no movements, yet the girl was certain that It was God, the true God.

She wanted to recount her suffering, but God already knew;

She wanted to describe her fear, but God saw through it all.

So It descended here, telling her not to fear, that everything was over.

She was no longer a test subject but God's spokesperson.

Honkai, Herrschers...

The girl closed her eyes, accepting the vast information. It even connected a part of its consciousness to hers.

Gu Yan had a hunch that when this pitiful girl opened her eyes, everything would change. She would become a terrifying existence, but in return, she would escape her current hell and no longer be in despair.

Perhaps for the girl, this was a good thing.

The surrounding scene vanished again. Gu Yan suddenly felt a bit flustered. It seemed he only knew her pain, but not even how to address her or find her...

[What if I call her Gu Ji? Would she know?]

No, that's impossible.

After all, he couldn't help at all.

After all, he didn't even know who he was anymore.

He was just an observer.

As his senses faded, Gu Yan left the scene once more.

But the surroundings didn't shatter. The girl still had her eyes closed. Soon, her eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes opened.

Her gaze was indifferent, and an aura that commanded submission enveloped the space.

"Gu Ji? Why take that name?"

A flicker of confusion crossed the girl's face, but no one answered her.

When he woke up again, Gu Yan immediately perked up, wanting to find "Gu Ji."

Soon, he found her, or rather, she was standing right before him.

She's really different now.

"Gu Ji" stood atop a tall building, gazing at the ruined city with an unreadable expression.

The breeze stirred her long hair, and her light blue eyes seemed to glow. Gu Yan could tell she was no longer in pain or fear. Now she could do as she pleased, and no one could harm her anymore.

But her hands were already stained with blood, the blood of innocents.

Is it because of that God?

Gu Yan didn't know how to judge. Perhaps he wasn't qualified to judge at all. He didn't even know what he was right now.

Undoubtedly, It had helped "Gu Ji," and "Gu Ji" was repaying It.

Right or wrong? Impossible to say.

Gu Yan was just an observer.

But he thought, if he were to endure all that again, and It descended because of it, demanding he commit murder and arson, he probably wouldn't care about right or wrong either.

The girl at this moment was indifferent, indifferent to life.

Like her, he could hear the wails, feel the despair, and even understand the reverence, the fanaticism, that the girl felt for God.

Why?

Once again, he asked himself.

He didn't understand, not at all.

Why would such a pitiable person be pushed this far?

She was such a beautiful girl. She should have been able to attract countless admiring glances just walking down the street.

But this world had persecuted her into this state.

Although no one thought she was pitiable, everyone saw her as hateful.

But Gu Yan knew this girl had once been helpless, had once despaired. Why didn't she deserve to be treated well? Why should she die in a laboratory in despair?

This wasn't fate; it was injustice!

Just then, "Gu Ji" seemed to sense something.

Gu Yan's mood also became excited. He felt it, he felt happiness. The girl was happy!

Because of the possible appearance of... a younger brother?

What's a younger brother?

Gu Yan didn't understand the meaning of the word, but he could tell from the girl's emotions.

Just knowing of his existence makes her this happy? It seems he's a very important person to her.

He didn't know that person was himself.

"Morr! Come with me to Jinshan City."

The girl quickly left the area, and the surroundings shattered once more.

Slightly shaking his non-existent head, Gu Yan sighed softly.

I hope she can be a little happier.

Through the shared senses, experiencing her experiences from "Gu Ji's" perspective, his understanding of "humans" was limited to that of perpetrators.

Perhaps for God, for "Gu Ji," there had never been any innocents.

But...

In reality, Gu Yan stood firmly on humanity's side and killed "Gu Ji."