The Boy Who Killed a Cat

Before Kiana could finish speaking, Su Jue gently pulled her into an embrace with a smile on his face, gesturing for the girl to mind the pedestrians walking right through them.

Realizing she was blocking the way, Kiana hurriedly stepped aside, yet the passersby remained completely oblivious, walking straight through both of their bodies.

"An illusion?"

"No, just consciousness." Su Jue released the girl and held her hand as they walked forward. "Don't worry, as far as Earth is concerned, we are still on the Moon over 400,000 kilometers away. Only our consciousness can be in this land, so we won't harm anyone."

Unnoticed by anyone, unfelt by anyone, as if cast out from the world. For anyone else, this might be some sort of torment, but for the two of them, it was the greatest gift.

The two of them walked through the bustling avenue. Today seemed to be some sort of festival, with young couples coming and going everywhere on the streets. Street stalls were appropriately adorned with all sorts of fresh flowers and bizarre gifts.

Initially, Kiana felt a bit apprehensive, but after confirming that it truly wouldn't harm anyone, she finally began to uninhibitedly enjoy this rare moment.

The silent moon hung high in the sky. Tonight's moonlight was beautiful, illuminating the figures of the two. The moonlight left no shadow on Earth, yet the azure planet was reflected in their eyes.

Moon Dance

A mysterious stargate crossed a distance of 400,000 kilometers, projecting the projection of a distant time and space onto the Earth's surface. Relying on the illusory projection of consciousness, the two were able to return once more to this planet brimming with their homeland.

The bustling and prosperous metropolis grew ever taller, gradually evolving into a supercity. The uninhabited areas no longer faced the erosion of Honkai, and were being re-occupied by humanity.

The end of Honkai was likewise the beginning of hope. Without the ravages of Honkai, this planet was radiating unimaginable vitality.

Kiana, having returned to Earth, appeared exceptionally excited, pulling Su Jue as she traversed the streets and alleys. Although unable to touch physical entities, she still enjoyed the fun of shopping just like an ordinary girl.

Today seemed to be a special holiday, with the entire city immersed in flowers and blessings, carrying a sweet aura.

On the city's large electronic screen, Wendy, who had already become a moderately famous singer, was promoting her fourth album.

On the chest of a roadside security robot was imprinted the black-and-white Nekocharm emblem. Even on the trash cans, the marker information of Nekocharm Group was everywhere.

On the billboard flashed the new game jointly developed by E.T.Studio and Principle Studio. The half-body silhouette of the mysterious female producer in the picture had long since blown up the gaming circle.

"This back view... looks a bit familiar?"

Looking up at the billboard, Kiana had a trace of doubt in her eyes. Although the very first glance made this silhouette feel exceptionally familiar, this brilliant long hair and tall figure were completely different from the girl in Kiana's memory.

"That's right, it's that friend of yours, Bronya Zaychik," Su Jue explained to her. "E.T.Studio is a gaming company under Nekocharm. If anyone can cooperate with it, I'm afraid it's only her."

"That's true. After all, so much time has passed, they should have grown up too. But her change is really huge." The girl looked up at the half-body silhouette in the picture, then lowered her head to look at herself.

The frozen time left no trace on Kiana; from beginning to end, she remained in her original girl's physique.

"In other words, Mei and the others must have changed a lot too, right?"

"Want to go take a look?" Su Jue looked at Kiana with encouraging eyes. Although the girl didn't say anything, her longing for her friends clearly occupied a great deal of weight.

"However, I shouldn't disturb them, and the stargate's energy is limited..."

Before Kiana could finish speaking, Su Jue directly pulled her through the dimensions of space.

"Did you forget? This is a gift I prepared for you. Since it's a gift, it naturally has to fulfill all your wishes."

The projection of consciousness was not restricted by space. With just a daze, the two went from the bustling city to a building full of a technological sense. Hundreds-of-meters-tall skyscrapers rose from the ground, revealing bright lights from the windows.

The grey Ouroboros mark outside the building was particularly eye-catching. It was obvious that this was once the headquarters of World Serpent.

The two floated up along the building, and through the windows, they quickly spotted a familiar shadow on the top floor.

"Mei?!"

Raiden Mei, wearing professional attire, was sitting in front of the office desk, reviewing one document after another. Come to think of it, it was quite strange. Su Jue originally just wanted to let Mei act as an undercover agent in World Serpent, but he hadn't expected that she would practically become the Venerable Lord of World Serpent by now.

The light blue conscious body passed through the glass, and Kiana finally saw her once closest friend again. She stretched out her hand, instinctively wanting to touch the other person. However, Mei, busy with work, clearly didn't notice the consciousness projection. She stretched, picked up her coffee for a small sip, and buried her head once more in processing the mountains of piled-up documents.

Kiana crowded to her side, finding that the documents were full of things she couldn't understand.

"Twilight Town Reform and Rectification, what is this?"

"Probably to make up for lost friends." Su Jue also felt some emotion in his heart, not expecting that Raiden Mei would actually reform that chaotic neighborhood for Pardo.

The two watched quietly for a while, and finally Kiana took the initiative to tug on the corner of Su Jue's clothes.

"Not staying a little longer?"

The girl shook her head slightly with a satisfied smile on the corner of her lips, "It's enough. Being able to confirm that everyone is living smoothly, this is fine."

Su Jue grasped her small hand and gently squeezed it.

"Don't worry, you are always friends, and they certainly won't forget you."

"Mn, let's go." Although she knew Mei couldn't see her, Kiana still waved her hand vigorously in farewell. "Goodbye, Mei."

The next time they met might be the distant future.

Utilizing the stargate's leap, the two traveled through different corners of the world. As a gift, Su Jue naturally had pre-located the positions of Kiana's friends, and even went back to take a look at the rebuilt St. Freya.

Himeko, Theresa, Bronya... Many familiar people had changed their appearances.

But for Kiana, they were forever the way they looked in her memory.

There was one hour left before the stargate's energy ran out.

In the end, they still returned to the initial location, returning to the city where they first met.

The Milky Way was like a winding stream, flowing silently above the dome. The river of eternal time sprinkled white starlight, illuminating the boy and girl standing together.

The evening breeze brushed across the vast plains, playing the music of life among the treetop branches sprouting tender green buds.

"I thought this place must have been remodeled into other buildings." The melodious grassland was somewhat withered, yet it hadn't turned barren; it seemed someone had been tending to this ranch all along.

The two walked on the grass, where it still maintained its former appearance. Su Jue shook his head slightly, indicating that Kiana's consideration was completely redundant.

"Don't worry, this is your city. Whether it's Schicksal or Nekocharm, absolutely no one will casually change the layout."

He held the girl's hand and walked forward leisurely. Climbing over the hills that blocked their view was an even broader grassland.

Kiana looked along the familiar direction. Under this boundless sky, two swings swaying with the breeze stood tall in the wilderness. A wooden cabin was situated in the center of the ranch, watching over this period of time.

In a trance, she seemed to see a girl standing under the starry sky, trying to portray the stars.

It was only when she came back to her senses that the shadow in her memory instantly turned into an illusion.

That had once been a regret she could never forget.

There were always various regrets left behind on the path of growth. Fortunately, Su Jue hadn't harmed anyone; he had merely fabricated a well-intentioned lie.

"Thank you, Su Jue."

"What is it?"

"Thank you for lying to me."

"?"

"Thank you for accompanying me."

The bright moonlight stretched the shadows of the two of them long. On the vast, uninhabited plain, two figures leaned closely together, accompanied by the creaking swings, gently swaying with the wind.

"Let's dance a waltz."

As if suddenly remembering something, Kiana pulled Su Jue onto the grass.

The girl didn't know how to dance, and neither did Su Jue, but neither of them cared about this at all. Relying purely on their mutual tacit understanding, they quickly immersed themselves in this nameless dance.

The two gazed at each other, their eyes reflecting only the other's appearance.

The circle dance under the moon had no audience, nor was it known to anyone.

The stargate's transmission time reached its limit, and the two returned to the moon once more. However, the two, who were lost in it, didn't stop, instead letting this dance continue on.

The dead moon had no passionate accompaniment, no dazzling lights, only endless cold silence.

Yet, on the surface of this barren planet, this dance continued for a very, very long time.

Time stood still, loneliness gnawed at the bones, and only the redemption of each other was the unchanging vow of eternity.

Volumes One, Two, and Three

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Chapter 1: The Boy Who Killed a Cat

Broadcast: "District E-015 has suffered a Honkai Beast attack. All survivors in this area are requested to immediately head to the central district for evacuation and await rescue from the combat department. If you spot traces of Honkai Beasts, report them immediately via your mobile phone, and we will dispatch troops for clearance as soon as possible."

Broadcast: "Repeating once more, all survivors must evacuate immediately. Staying in this area carries a high possibility of being attacked again! Injured residents, please try to find a safe area to hide. If you discover traces of Honkai Beasts, immediately lower your voice and breathing frequency to avoid attracting the attention of Honkai Beasts."

Deep dark clouds lingered in the gloomy sky, silently listening to the echoing broadcast. The ruins of collapsed high-rises lay paralyzed across the earth, licked by the flames of burning cars. The evening breeze, mixed with the cries and wails of disaster victims, swept across this area attacked by Honkai Beasts, landing by the boy's ear.

Meow~

A faint cat's meow came through. The boy, who was running away in a hurry, paused slightly and instinctively stopped in his tracks.

The piercing broadcast still echoed overhead. The boy gritted his teeth and walked toward the ruins not far away.

The pet shop sign had long been twisted and deformed in the collapsed building, with only occasionally flashing electrical sparks still making buzzing sounds. Pushing aside the rubble on the steel frame, a kitten with a completely black body but pure white paws appeared before Su Jue's eyes.

Meow~

The cat's cry was faint. Its two hind legs had been completely crushed by the billboard's steel pipe. At the very last moment before escaping the pet shop, it was completely buried by the collapsed building. Its cat fur was stained with blood, and its white whiskers still carried some bloody foam.

Its internal organs had already ruptured.

Su Jue reached out his hand and gently stroked the kitten's head, a complex emotion carried within his eyes.

Seeming to feel the human's stroke, the little black cat barely lifted its head, crying hoarsely and painfully. Its dark pupils had already grown hazy, carrying a yearning for survival.

"Good night."

Click--

The painful wailing was brought to a full stop. The black cat stepping on white snow closed its eyes, falling asleep along with this land.

The blood-stained fingertips were pulled back. Su Jue covered the cat's corpse with his coat. Amidst the disaster, he could do nothing; he could only end its suffering early.

He didn't know if this was right or wrong, but regardless, he had ended up taking a life after all.

Roar!

Just as Su Jue killed the kitten, the Honkai Beast that had already chased him all the way finally spotted him. Accompanied by a roar, the ten-meter-tall Honkai Beast directly smashed through the road's ruins, charging right at him.

The flying rubble easily tore apart the billboard on the ground. Su Jue had no time to hesitate, hurriedly turning on his heels to run.

Regrettably, his physical stamina was not exceptional, and no matter how fast his speed was, it couldn't outpace a Honkai Beast's charge.

Boom!

The burning car was directly sent flying, exploding in midair. Su Jue tripped underfoot, his whole body suddenly crashing to the ground.

The burned car swept past his head, scorching hot tongue of flames licking his back. Yet this fall miraculously helped him have a narrow escape from death; it was just that the bag he carried on his back was torn, and several medical record sheets mixed with a large amount of loose change scattered from the backpack, spilling across the ground.

Gritting his teeth, Su Jue scrambled up from the ground without a moment to rest, picking up the scattered medical records and several large bills of loose change.

Simultaneously, a huge shadow intruded into his field of vision.

A flash of gold brushed past the bottom of his eyes, but vanished without a trace the next second.

The tall Honkai Beast raised its paw and smashed it fiercely down toward Su Jue's location.

Nekocharm!

A spear pierced through the air, nailing fiercely into the Honkai Beast's about-to-swing paw, stabbing the ten-meter-tall Honkai Beast so hard that it reeled backward and knocked down a few sections of ruins.

Moonlight tore through the dark clouds, casting pure silver radiance upon the white-haired girl. She leaped down from a high-rise building, following closely behind the flying spear, and kicked fiercely at the Honkai Beast's head.

"Dangerous!"

Compared to the ten-meter-tall Honkai Beast, the girl's petite figure was virtually indistinguishable from a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Su Jue struggled to climb to his feet with wide-open eyes, the next second anticipating seeing the girl smashed into fragments by the Honkai Beast.

Bang--!

A muffled sound arrived. Different from what he had anticipated, the girl's flying kick landed fiercely on the Honkai Beast's head. There was no blood splattering, nor was the girl sent flying backward.

The Honkai Beast reacted as if struck by a powerful kinetic energy weapon, staggering backward. Its crimson pupils bulged from its body, as if under this kick, its brains had been directly shattered.

"Die!"

Golden light burst from the girl's right eye, and pale purple energy converged, transforming into a spear gripped in her hand, which she then drove into the Honkai Beast's head from above, piercing straight out from its eye socket.

Struggling, roaring.