Honkai's Thousand Laws, Kidnapping Kiana at the Start

Su Jue pushed open the door to his room, and the aroma of food wafted into his nostrils. His expression was a little strange. Several steaming dishes were indeed laid out on the table, and in the kitchen, Murata Himeko was busy preparing dinner.

Is she trying to poison me?

Such a ridiculous thought flashed through his mind. He sat down in the chair with a calm expression, waiting to see what would happen.

"Huh? Little guy, you're finally willing to leave your room." Himeko walked out of the kitchen with a plate of stir-fried cabbage. While the appearance of the dish was rather unappealing, it smelled surprisingly good.

"Hmph~" Su Jue snorted coldly, still seemingly angry about Himeko going through his things that afternoon. Himeko, on the other hand, beckoned to him in a familiar manner.

"Oh, don't be angry. Big sis was just curious about you. I made a lavish dinner as an apology." She put down the plate, turned around, and took out two bottles of sake from a plastic bag by the table.

Unfortunately, her words did not dispel Su Jue's doubts; instead, they made him more vigilant. "You mean you made these yourself?"

"Ahaha..." Under Su Jue's gaze, Himeko chuckled awkwardly and finally, under pressure, revealed the truth. "Actually, I just bought them from outside. I only put them on the plates."

No wonder the plating was so ugly.

However, the dishes were still decent. They didn't look like something from a street vendor. But, "Where did you get the money? You didn't take it from my cabinet, did you?"

His medical records and a wad of cash were in the cabinet. That money had been saved for a long time—props, really. It would be a shame if Himeko used it up like that.

"Of course not. As a Valkyrie of Schicksal, I have my own source of income, okay?" As they sat down, Himeko opened the sake bottle before taking even two bites of the meal.

She placed one bottle in front of Su Jue. He frowned but didn't refuse. Seeing this, Himeko smiled, picked up her own bottle, and took a big gulp.

"Didn't I tell you not to go out? You're a dead person right now. If there's any change in your account, Schicksal will immediately investigate me. You know the consequences very well." Su Jue tapped the table incessantly, extremely displeased with Himeko's unauthorized actions.

Murata Himeko naturally knew this, but she wasn't foolish enough to leak information to Schicksal.

Not to mention that as Su Jue's puppet, she would immediately sense anything detrimental to him. Ever since Otto experimented with Kiana as the Herrscher of Void, her attitude towards Schicksal had cooled to freezing point. She even wished that the Herrscher brat would give Otto a severe beating.

"Don't worry. I used my puppet body when I went out. My appearance is completely different from my real self, and I didn't use my public account. I spent my dowry that I'd saved for years." Thinking of this, Himeko's mood suddenly became much more somber. "I can't believe I haven't found a marriage partner even by the time I die..."

Su Jue glanced at the self-pitying Himeko and ignored her. Compared to their previous tense probing, their current interaction was much more natural.

He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of food, and put it in his mouth. Su Jue chewed slowly, eating quietly, his demeanor cold. Himeko, on the other hand, became more talkative, drinking the sake nonstop instead of eating the fragrant dinner.

"Hey, Herrscher, tell me about your life before you became a Herrscher. It's only proper to introduce yourself to your subordinate."

"It's none of your business."

The smell of alcohol hit him, and before Su Jue could react, Himeko leaned close to him. "How can it be none of my business? Only by understanding the boss's preferences can we subordinates better execute orders."

Su Jue's eyes flashed with impatience. The control over his body was instantly stripped away, and Himeko could only watch helplessly as he controlled her to sit back down in her chair obediently.

"Alright, alright, I won't ask anymore." After the control was released, Himeko dared not speak carelessly. There was plenty of time in the future, and as long as Su Jue didn't explicitly refuse, she would eventually find out. Although Su Jue's attitude had been cold since the incident at noon, he hadn't taken any punitive action. It was clear that he didn't entirely treat his puppet as a tool.

This is a good weakness, Himeko thought, gradually getting a grasp of the situation. She just needed to slowly probe his limits.

This dinner banquet was surprisingly harmonious. Although all the dishes were bought from outside, they were still better than anything she could cook herself. Su Jue couldn't find any fault with it. Under Himeko's coaxing, he drank quite a bit of sake.

The sake wasn't very strong, but Su Jue almost never drank alcohol. After finishing a whole bottle, he felt a little dizzy.

Looking at Su Jue, whose face was slightly flushed and who maintained a cold demeanor even when drunk, Murata Himeko felt a sense of guilt, like an older woman luring a young boy. She hadn't intentionally tried to get Su Jue drunk; she just hadn't expected his tolerance for alcohol to be so low.

Although she felt a bit guilty, she wouldn't miss such a rare opportunity. While Su Jue was groggy, she quietly moved closer to him.

"Su Jue?" she asked tentatively, ready to be controlled at any moment. However, Su Jue seemed oblivious to her approach. Instead, he slumped onto the table, murmuring softly.

Himeko leaned down and finally heard the boy's drowsy whispers.

"Mom..."

So, something bad happened in the past?

She sighed inwardly. However, Su Jue was at his most vulnerable in this state, and she had to seize the opportunity to ask for some useful information.

"As the Herrscher of Domination, what are your plans now?"

"..." Such a direct question naturally received no answer. Himeko had already prepared for failure, but unexpectedly, Su Jue suddenly raised his head, staring at her with hazy eyes.

"The accomplices of the Herrscher of the Void will arrive in Sky City tomorrow. As my puppet, I want you to kill them. Kill them, do you hear me? Hic... Kill..."

With a bang, as if he had finished his orders, Su Jue collapsed onto the table and fell asleep. His sleeping posture was peaceful, but Himeko's heart couldn't calm down.

"Theresa and the others are coming to Sky City?" Upon hearing this news, Himeko's heart sank. Sky City was not peaceful. Not only were there many factions lurking there, but a Herrscher had already bared its fangs at them.

This trip would be extremely dangerous. She had to stop them.

However, the moment this thought surfaced, golden threads suddenly tightened, as if embedding themselves into her soul. As the threads continued to tighten, the intense pain almost blanked her mind. Even the resolute Himeko couldn't help but feel a sense of despair. She felt like she would be cut into pieces by these threads in the next second.

Su Jue, who had just collapsed, was also startled awake. The golden light in his eyes was extremely dense.

"Are you planning to betray me?"

Chapter 44: Domination

Perhaps because her repeated probing had gone without incident, Murata Himeko had forgotten that she was facing a Herrscher.

When the golden flames began to burn in his eyes, the vast difference in their life levels was displayed before her more realistically than ever before. Fine threads pulled and pierced her, like an exquisite tailor meticulously stitching a puppet.

This was a pain far beyond Honkai erosion; it was a direct threading and stitching of the soul.

"This is the punishment for betrayal." The blush hadn't even faded from his face, yet Su Jue now lacked any trace of youthful immaturity. He lowered his gaze, looking at Himeko, who was curled up on the ground in agony, without any emotion.

Endless goodwill only makes people push their luck. Only when power is truly displayed before people can they learn to be subservient and understand how precious that goodwill is.

"Murata Himeko, you crossed the line." As his voice fell, the puppet threads suddenly snapped. Himeko, who had been entangled by the threads, suddenly erupted with countless wounds all over her body. Blood instantly stained the dining table red. The once-appetizing dishes were now dyed a dark crimson.

Like a discarded, broken doll, Murata Himeko could barely even breathe. Every inch of her skin screamed with pain, and even her long, red hair was an unsightly mess, stained with blood. She lay powerlessly on the ground, like a corpse. One of her dim, orange-red eyes was submerged in blood, while the other could only dimly watch the young man standing beside her.

This time, she finally understood. No matter how many past grievances the young man had, no matter how little resistance he showed to her probing, the true bottom line had always been there. Once crossed, she wouldn't be facing a young man, but a Herrscher named Domination.

How did it come to this? Was it Su Jue's tolerance of her repeated tests? Was it her lowered guard after being discovered while searching for clues, yet still not being punished? Or was it all because she still approached him with the mindset of a teacher at St. Freya?

Perhaps she had become a little too carried away.

She thought this internally, and then her vision went completely dark.

After Himeko fainted, the golden light in Su Jue's eyes slowly receded. He lightly swiped his fingers in the air, opening an Imaginary Rift. A puppet carrying a medical kit emerged and meticulously began to stop Himeko's bleeding and apply medicine.

Using the past as bait and kindness as shackles could indeed deepen a puppet's bond, but unwavering kindness alone couldn't sustain such a grand performance.

Su Jue needed a controllable puppet, not a kind friend.

Humans are complex creatures. When you choose to give them an inch, they will try to take a mile; it's an instinct born of greed. Even kindness, once accustomed to, can turn into pure malice if suddenly withdrawn.

If Su Jue had merely set up a scenario for her without any deterrence, Himeko would soon find his authority negligible. If she were to become rebellious and secretly aid his enemies, even if he could eliminate her, the losses would be irrecoverable. Not only would he lose a high-level combatant, but his tracks would also be discovered by the enemy.

Therefore, he had to tame her in advance. The method of taming, passed down for thousands of years, was simple: a carrot and a stick. Giving her hope, making her believe that by lurking by Su Jue's side, she could help the children—that was the carrot. Giving her despair, striking her with thunderous force when she defied Su Jue's interests—that was the stick.

Only then could he firmly control the puppet, driving her towards Su Jue's goals without her harboring resentment. Instead, she would feel proud of securing a glimmer of hope for the children in the desperate situation created by Su Jue.

Dominating the puppet was never the key; only dominating hearts made one a Herrscher.

After confirming that Murata Himeko could no longer escape his control, Su Jue shifted his gaze to Sky City.

Two days had passed since Su Jue had spread Kiana's photos. No matter how difficult it was to obtain a pass for the Land of the Divine, Schicksal and the Hyperion should have arrived in the city by now according to the timeline.

Although he had impersonated Gray Serpent, this was also a gift from Su Jue to Gray Serpent. In the original plan, World Serpent was already prepared to make contact with Schicksal; they just lacked a catalyst. The intelligence Su Jue provided was the perfect bait.

Therefore, even if he harbored doubts about Su Jue's identity, he would definitely seize this opportunity to conduct a transaction with Schicksal.

Click.

With a snap of Su Jue's fingers, amidst the bustling night, a golden glint flashed in the eyes of a hooded man leaning against an alley wall. He looked up, watching a massive transport plane fly overhead. In the faint moonlight, the emblem on the plane, resembling the character [Non-], was clearly visible.

"Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie, Rita Rossweisse..." Su Jue murmured. Although in his memory, this noble S-rank seemed to have a less-than-stellar combat record—like letting a B-rank Mei escape from her grasp, or leading a group to corner Kiana, who was only an A-rank and already restrained by Sirin, yet still managing to retreat unharmed, or being easily drugged, nearly allowing the combat weapon produced by the Jackal to capture her...

Cough, now is not the time to recall these things. She's a genuine S-rank, perhaps her setbacks were just temporary?

Controlling the puppet Chris, Su Jue quickly left the alley. The entire city was now under the surveillance of Gray Serpent's humanoid robots. If he wanted to gain anything from Schicksal and World Serpent, he had to be careful.

Chapter 45: Transaction

Neon lights glowed, the city bustling.

Even though the outside world was devastated by Honkai, the heart of this city remained prosperous and safe, as if disaster had never struck. The joys and sorrows of people are not the same; when disaster has not yet befallen oneself, sadness becomes an insignificant topic of conversation.

Walking the streets of Sky City, this was the first thought that crossed Rita's mind. As a condition for Fu Hua assisting Otto, the Land of the Divine was not under Schicksal's control. Although some contact was unavoidable, generally speaking, the Land of the Divine relied on its own local forces for development.

Therefore, upon seeing this technologically advanced city, even Rita couldn't help but be somewhat surprised. The ubiquitous interconnected network, the all-encompassing transportation links, like blood vessels, supplied the entire city.

Of course, the price was the unrestricted weakening of the surrounding areas. Apart from the core district, all other regions were still in the hell of Honkai attacks, and the suburbs had become fringe territories, drifting further away from the technological metropolis. It was like a giant heart that only took and never gave, drawing blood from within its jurisdiction to supply itself.

But this had nothing to do with Schicksal. Rita didn't care how this city developed; her concern was only for the beasts with bared fangs, lurking in the darkness.

As she pondered these things, Rita's beautiful eyebrows slightly raised. She noticed a gaze that seemed to be fixed on her.

Is it someone from Gray Serpent?

Just as she was about to draw her scythe, an excited young man approached her.

"Um, excuse me, miss, are you perhaps cosplaying a maid?" The man wore thick, black-rimmed glasses and had messy, unkempt hair, looking like someone who didn't care about his appearance. He had been staring at Rita for a long time, and only when he saw her about to leave did he muster the courage to approach her.

Releasing her grip on the scythe handle, Rita regained her usual elegant demeanor. Although she was accustomed to wearing a maid outfit at Schicksal, a maid outfit wasn't that common in the culturally diverse Land of the Divine. She carefully observed the man. The inner shirt beneath his jacket was printed with anime art. His jacket, though seemingly modest, should be a piece of merchandise from some anime, she recalled. His timid expression made him look away nervously, unable to meet Rita's eyes even as he spoke.

"No," Rita replied with a polite smile, having mentally labeled him as a harmless otaku.

"Then, may I take a photo with you? Just one, I promise I won't leak it." The otaku seemed oblivious to Rita's disdain, his face flushing as he gathered his courage.

Seeing the camera in the man's hand, Rita sighed. Her scythe was already out, and with a flick, it transformed from its folded state into a deadly weapon. "I think it would be best for you to leave as soon as possible if you don't want to cause trouble."

Upon seeing Rita's action, the man's expression changed drastically. He then noticed that the street around them had become eerily empty. More than a dozen figures in black, appearing from nowhere, were gradually surrounding them.

"Sorry, I'll be going now." Realizing this was not a place to linger, the otaku clutched his camera and fled frantically into the distance. However, before he could take two steps, gunshots rang out. Blood erupted from his back. He endured the pain and continued to run, eventually falling under a barrage of gunfire, his blood staining his camera.

Seeing the man who had just spoken to her die, Rita felt nothing. She knew the real hunt had just begun.

Bang, bang—

A hail of bullets swept towards her, but firearms posed no threat to a Valkyrie. Her massive scythe swept through the air in an arc, slicing through the curtain of bullets. Using the brief opening, her agile body leaped onto a streetlamp.

Then, with a loud bang, the streetlamp was reduced to scrap metal from her leverage, and she herself had closed in on the first attacker at extreme speed.

Screech—

Like a searing cleaver cutting through fresh pork, the great scythe instantly sliced one of the attackers in two. The gushing blood splattered, but didn't even stain Rita's skirt.

After easily dispatching the first enemy, Rita, like an elegant dancer, wildly swung her great scythe. The entire street became her stage, where amidst the continuous gunfire, she performed a perfect solo for the unwelcoming audience.

Clack.

The last corpse fell lifelessly. Rita's performance finally ended. She somewhat listlessly patted her short skirt, as if checking for dust.

"How do you find my cleaning skills, Mr. Gray Serpent?" As if talking to herself, Rita's gaze fell upon the shadows of the buildings.

Before the man himself appeared, his umbrella did. The moment the iconic black umbrella emerged from the film, the man known as Gray Serpent finally revealed his presence.

"Single-handedly slaughtering all my bodyguards... it seems Miss Rita isn't here for negotiations."

With a faint smile on her lips, Rita replied, "Cleaning up the negotiation venue is just a small habit of mine. Don't you like it?"

"..."

"Oh dear, it seems I've done something unnecessary," she said to herself. "Well, to compensate for your losses, I can offer a deal with generous returns."

His expression was hidden by his mask, but Gray Serpent's voice clearly carried a hint of sarcasm. "It seems the friends from Schicksal aren't very friendly. I suppose I have no choice but to accept this deal?"

"Mhm~ Think whatever you like, Mr. Gray Serpent." After confirming Gray Serpent posed no threat, Rita dropped the smile from her face.

"Two days ago, you uploaded a photo containing a girl. You know exactly who she is and understand her value, yet you still chose to upload it to Schicksal's information network. Now, tell me her whereabouts."

Gray Serpent's voice was remarkably calm as he asked, "And what can I gain from this transaction?"

"Hmm, let me think." Rita frowned slightly, seemingly in deep thought. "A reliable ally and... a guarantee that you can safely leave this place."

"That sounds quite good. Although I already have more than one ally, who would complain about having too many friends? However, regarding the contents of the deal, using someone's life as a bargaining chip... isn't that against the spirit of business?"

"It seems your bodyguards didn't teach you the value of life." Casually kicking the corpse of one of the men in black in front of Gray Serpent, Rita's voice gradually turned cold.

"Miss Rita, for a snake, death is merely the beginning of the next transaction. What you need to be wary of is being targeted by the snake. Otherwise..."

Before Gray Serpent could finish speaking, a sharp blade tore through his throat, severing his carotid artery.

Watching Gray Serpent collapse in a pool of blood, Rita slowly retracted the dagger in her hand.

"You're right, Mr. Gray Serpent. Death is the beginning of the next transaction. In that case, this is a transaction you have no choice but to accept."

Chapter Forty-Six: A Thousand Loose Ends