Honkai's Thousand Laws, Kidnapping Kiana at the Start

The bullet, under Su Jue's precise control, forcibly struck his arm, blood spraying out and splattering onto Kiana's face.

"Su Jue!!"

The moment Kiana saw Su Jue hit by the bullet, she felt as if struck by lightning, her mind going completely blank.

Clang.

In front of the puppet, the brass casing hit the ground. The next bullet was already chambered.

Bang—!

The gunshot echoed, and in the silent level, no other sound remained.

Where the two stood, a small bullet hole was left in the concrete ground.

The instant the second bullet arrived, Kiana finally unleashed her potential, forcibly channeling the power of the Herrscher core and instantly teleporting away with Su Jue.

In the distance, the puppet, its control lost by Su Jue, gradually lost the light in its eyes. The sniper rifle fell powerlessly from the puppet's grasp, dropping from the rooftop to the concrete ground.

A fair hand reached out from the void, grabbing the puppet's body and dragging it into the Theater of Domination.

A few minutes later, at the location of the level, another transport vehicle bearing the Ouroboros insignia stopped.

Tap, tap, tap. Dense footsteps sounded as a more heavily equipped team quickly secured the scene.

Men, all concealed beneath black trench coats, stepped out of the vehicle. Pale masks were fixed to their faces, replacing all expression. Two dagger-like patterns crossed over the center of the mask, resembling hunters awaiting their prey. Their left eyes were covered by the mask, but their scarlet right eyes appeared particularly strange.

Despite it being a bright sunny day, this man opened a black umbrella. A heavy robe concealed his entire body, making him appear like a venomous creature—a snake—against his tall, slender frame.

"In less than ten minutes, not even a single survivor was left." The man's voice was hoarse, a muffled electronic tone making it difficult to identify.

After first glancing at the completely destroyed surveillance equipment and confirming no information could be retrieved, he then continuously scanned the chaotic battlefield with his flickering red cybernetic eyes, recording all data, which was ultimately sent to Shencheng Technology's computing terminal for analysis.

As the red light dimmed, he slowly raised his head, the trajectories of all the bullets becoming clearly visible in his eyes. Following the direction from which the bullets came, he looked towards the sniper's position.

However, naturally, there was nothing there now, no sign of human activity.

"Clean up the battlefield, take all the experimental subjects back. Erase the bloodstains and fake the scene to look like an attack by Honkai Beasts," he commanded in a low voice before Gray Serpent began to walk, heading alone towards the location of the sniper.

In his scarlet snake eyes, the first thing captured was naturally heat.

He bent down, put on gloves, and gently picked up the sniper rifle. The fall from a height had left the outdated bolt-action rifle somewhat loose. But the temperature of the barrel honestly told him this was the murder weapon that had slaughtered his team.

There were no special markings on the sniper rifle. This nearly obsolete old-fashioned gun was considered a discarded item by Schicksal, the military, or Shencheng Technology. Obtaining one wouldn't be difficult.

More importantly, the trigger of the firearm had no fingerprints, nor was there any residual body heat from being held.

Raising his head, his gaze fell upon the rooftop. Subtle scuff marks were captured by his snake eyes.

But when he reached the rooftop, he only saw scattered wood chips, not even the scent of the person who had been lying there sniping remained.

Chapter Twenty: The Evening Breeze, Far From the Hustle and Bustle, Brings Peaceful Years

Darkness, heavy, memories like descending holes, intertwined and spiraling, weaving an abyss called pain.

Stinging, tearing, the body felt as if it were being violently ripped apart, every inch of flesh, every piece of bone cut open.

"Am I going to die?"

Hanging upside down in the endless darkness, the girl sank continuously, like a shipwreck survivor forgotten in the deep sea.

Confused and mixed memory fragments flickered, recounting her life, woven with lies. She saw her friends from St. Freya Academy: Theresa, Mei, Bronya, Class Monitor Fu Hua, Teacher Himeko...

In her memories, they were smiling, her closest friends, her most reliable companions.

But now, their faces held no smiles, only resentment and fear.

"Your life is just a pre-written script."

"Your name is just a fabricated lie."

"Your existence is merely a dream, an experimental subject numbered K423, attempting to possess your own life."

"You are just a vessel, a vessel to contain the Herrscher of Void. What you have experienced is nothing but emptiness."

"..."

The girl remained silent, Sirin's voice echoing in her ears, lingering in this silent, deep sea of consciousness.

After a long while, the girl seemed to finally give up resisting. The constantly flashing memory fragments gradually dissipated, and the holes in her consciousness slowly disappeared.

"Very good, K423. Hand over this body to me. Together, we will take revenge on this dirty, hypocritical world."

In the space of consciousness, Sirin's phantom gradually solidified. She continuously interfered with the girl's heart with her words, eager to accept this perfect host body.

"Are you done talking?" Unexpectedly, what she received was not the girl's despairing surrender, but a sharp retort.

Floating in the gloom, her bright blue eyes sparkled. At this moment, where was the despair filled with pain she once had? Her shattered mental barriers, after being crushed once, had only become more solid.

Despite being tightly entangled by painful memories, her consciousness was not shaken in the slightest.

"How can you possibly maintain your self-awareness after being eroded by the Herrscher core!"

Sirin, having failed again, was somewhat incredulous. This time, Kiana had forcibly broken through the Herrscher of the Void core, and almost half of her body had been eroded by Honkai. Logically, her consciousness should have been lost in the chaos of Honkai...

"Are you surprised? Are you confused?" Kiana, her consciousness fully restored, stopped her descent. She calmly floated in the abyss of her deepest consciousness.

Sirin gradually appeared before her, and the two looked at each other face to face.

"Foolish one, have you forgotten? All your friends have betrayed you."

With a roar of resentment, space twisted and warped, transforming into a pure white labyrinth. Sirin snapped her fingers, and phantoms of Theresa and the others appeared within the white maze.

"Look, in their eyes, you've become a monster. The only way to save you is to kill you."

As Sirin moved, Kiana's friends from St. Freya Academy spontaneously attacked her.

"I'm sorry, Kiana," Mei's phantom repeatedly apologized, yet her blade slashed mercilessly towards Kiana, opening a deep gash on her body.

"See, see! All they want is to kill you!"

"You..."

Bang—!!

Before Sirin could finish speaking, she saw Kiana punch Mei directly in the stomach. The immense force sent Mei flying backward, dissolving into fragments before she even hit the ground.

"Are you insane? She's your best friend, and you just killed her!" Sirin, who had always been hidden within Kiana's heart and understood perfectly what St. Freya meant to her, was genuinely shocked this time. She had considered the possibility of her consciousness's erosion failing, but she never imagined Kiana would actually attack the person most important to her.

"Heh." Kiana, having dealt with Mei's phantom with a single punch, let out a cold laugh. "The fake is always fake. Someone like you, who's never been trusted, probably can't understand what it feels like to be expected of."

"..."

"Besides, didn't you say it yourself? They've already betrayed me, so why should I hold back?"

For a moment, Sirin was speechless. She stared intently at Kiana, trying to find the reason for her transformation into this state.

"I understand. It's that bastard. It's that bastard, isn't it?"

"I'll kill him. I definitely will!"

Her voice grew fainter until it disappeared completely. In the pure white consciousness labyrinth, only Kiana remained.

She stood silently, looking down at the fist she had just thrown. A flicker of pain flashed in her eyes. She had never imagined she would one day strike a friend. Although she had spoken dismissively just now, Sirin's words had torn open wounds in her heart. After attacking Mei's phantom, that sense of grief reached its peak.

However, trust is the best medicine for betrayal.

There were still people who trusted her, people who expected things from her. Therefore, she could not fall here.

Crack—

The consciousness space shattered. Kiana's consciousness slowly sank, then gradually cleared.

"You're awake?"

The young man wore a smile on his face. The crimson sunset in the distance cast long shadows on them. Su Jue, slumped on the ground, leaned tiredly against a large tree. Kiana, who had fallen asleep after using her Herrscher core, lay on the grass with her head resting on the young man's lap.

The evening breeze gently rustled the leaves of the trees, making a swishing sound. Dusk bathed the empty grassland in golden light, casting a hazy hue. In the distance, cities lined the horizon, ablaze with lights. It felt as if they had left all worldly troubles behind, abandoned all past regrets, and time had stopped, eternal, at this very moment.

Lying flat on the grass, with her head on Su Jue's lap, Kiana found herself staring blankly. Her white hair was swept up by the wind, intertwining with the young man's short gray hair, almost becoming one. His simple gray eyes reflected her own golden and blue irises, so clear, so distinct, as if only she existed within his gaze.

She slowly closed her eyes, savoring this moment of peace.

Chapter 21: The Star-Painting Girl

"Cough, cough, can you get up for a bit? My... my leg is going numb." Su Jue could barely hold on. His body was already weak, and after the spatial transfer, he had just waited for Kiana to wake up. He waited from day to evening, and now his leg was almost numb from being pressed down. She finally woke up, only to close her eyes again, as if intending to go back to sleep.

Hearing Su Jue's voice, Kiana's small face blushed, and she quickly rolled over and got up from him. The memories from before rushed back. Why had she used the Herrscher of the Void's power? Right, it was because Su Jue was injured.

"How's your injury?" she asked, looking at Su Jue's arm with concern. It was already wrapped in bandages, and it looked like the young man had done it himself.

"It's not serious. The bullet didn't hit directly, just some superficial wounds." He tried to lift his arm, feigning strength, but the sharp pain quickly shot through his mind, causing his entire face to contort.

"You still say it's not serious!" She gently pressed down on Su Jue's arm with a hint of anger, carefully unwrapping the messy bandages on his wound.

Seeing the wound on the young man's arm, where a large chunk of flesh seemed to be missing, Kiana's nose stung, and tears welled up. But she knew it wasn't the time to be sad. The bandages Su Jue had tied with one hand had stopped the bleeding, but they weren't conducive to healing.

"I'll help you take off your clothes. Tying it like this won't let it breathe," she said, reaching to help him remove his shirt.

Su Jue flinched and quickly stopped her. "Just leave it tied like this."

"...Alright." Looking at Su Jue with some confusion, Kiana could only pull up his sleeve as much as possible, clean his wound, and re-bandage it.

Su Jue, who had just narrowly escaped danger, felt his heart pounding. The black and white symbol of Kiana pulsed with his heartbeat near his heart. This was the core mark of his Herrscher of Domination. If Kiana discovered it, it would surely expose him later.

Although Kiana's academic performance at St. Freya Academy was often below passing, she had mastered basic medical knowledge. In just a few minutes, the bandages Su Jue had haphazardly tied were transformed into a comfortable, breathable wrap, complete with a cute bow.

Nodding with satisfaction, Kiana finally shifted her gaze from Su Jue to their surroundings.

Ancient trees, a grassy lawn. It looked like a vast grassland, but the tall buildings in the distance indicated they weren't far from the city.

"This should be a ranch on the outskirts of the city." Su Jue's voice came as he pulled out a mobile phone. It was an old model from a few years ago, with a cracked screen held together by tape.

Indeed, this was the phone he had "confiscated" from his subordinates. The Kiana Company, with the addition of Xiao Lei, had already ventured into the manga industry, and making money wasn't difficult. After upgrading his subordinates' phones, the old ones naturally became his equipment. Such a considerate boss, even philanthropists would have to fast and pray, calling him a living Buddha.

Looking at the battered phone in Su Jue's hand, Kiana fell silent. Although the Valkyries of Schicksal faced many dangers, their basic equipment was always top-notch, and their phones were always the latest models. Unfortunately, her own phone had been destroyed in the previous Honkai outbreak.

"The map's GPS still works. We're still within Sky City's limits." He handed the phone to Kiana, then hesitated before saying softly, "Your ability... that teleportation thing, it causes a lot of damage to your body, right? If possible, it's best not to use it."

"Aren't you afraid? That kind of ability isn't something a normal Valkyrie should have." After the shadows in her heart had dispersed, her fear of the Herrscher of the Void was no longer as intense. But to ordinary people, Herrschers were still the most terrifying beings. Kiana could have found dozens of ways to deceive Su Jue, but this time, she didn't want to lie.

She gently scratched her cheek, and Su Jue showed a hint of embarrassment. "Actually, I am a little afraid... Will you hurt me?"

"No!" Her voice was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

The embarrassment quickly faded, and a relieved smile spread across the young man's face. "I believe you."

The sun gradually sank below the horizon, its afterglow painting the sky red. The two walked side-by-side across the ranch, like a romantic journey.

Unfortunately, as the people involved, neither of them felt romantic at all.

"Grumble~~"

A strange sound came from their stomachs. The two people, on the verge of fainting from hunger, exchanged an awkward glance before bursting into laughter.

As the sun completely disappeared, the sky filled with stars began to twinkle one after another.

Without the light pollution from the big city's neon signs, the starlight was exceptionally bright over the grassland.

The two famished individuals walked across the pasture and then stopped.

Beneath the vast starry sky, a girl drawing stars gradually came into view.

The girl's bare feet stood on the cool grass. A large, solid wooden easel was placed in front of her, largely obscuring her small frame.

Starlight and moonlight mingled, shining down on the girl without reservation, making her look like a sprite of the stars.

Her light purple eyes were focused on the drawing paper, and she would occasionally look up at the stars. Her left hand gently held a palette smeared with paint, while the tip of the brush in her right hand hovered above the canvas, which had a deep blue base, hesitating to make contact. The flowing paint dripped down the brush, staining her white dress, and then, with the girl's movements, smudged everywhere.

"What color are stars?"

Unaware of the dripping paint, she was so engrossed that it seemed the only thing in her world was this sky. She was completely oblivious to the arrival of the two uninvited guests.

After observing for a long time, the girl finally made up her mind and lowered the brush. However, the paint had already detached, and the stars she had tried to depict in the night sky turned into rough splotches.

"Ah."

With a soft exclamation, the girl somewhat dejectedly withdrew her brush. In the end, she couldn't manage to draw the myriad stars.

She took down the canvas, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the nearby trash can. The girl slowly packed up her art supplies. Once everything was tidied away, the young girl finally noticed the two people who had been standing there waiting for a long time.

The moment she saw the strangers, the girl froze slightly, then her face turned pale with panic. Without even taking her art supplies, she ran barefoot across the grass and back into the small house not far away.