Honkai's Thousand Laws, Kidnapping Kiana at the Start

Before Kiana could finish speaking, Su Jue gently hugged her, a smile on his face as he gestured for the girl to notice the pedestrians approaching.

Noticing that she was blocking the way, Kiana hastily moved aside. However, the passersby didn't notice at all and walked straight through the two of them.

"An illusion?"

"No, just consciousness." Su Jue released the girl and walked forward, holding her hand. "Don't worry. For Earth, we are still over 400,000 kilometers away on the Moon, but our consciousness can be on this land. So, we won't harm anyone."

Unnoticed by anyone, unfelt by anyone, as if rejected by the world. This might be a form of torture for others, but for the two of them, it was the best gift.

The two walked through the bustling streets. Today seemed to be some kind of festival, with young couples coming and going everywhere. Roadside stalls were also appropriately set up with all sorts of flowers and strange gifts.

Initially, Kiana was a little worried, but after confirming that they wouldn't actually harm anyone, she finally began to indulge in the rare moment without restraint.

The silent Moon hung high in the sky. The moonlight tonight was beautiful, illuminating their figures. The moonlight cast no shadows on Earth, yet the blue planet was reflected in their eyes.

Moon Dance

A mysterious Stargate spanned 400,000 kilometers, projecting a distant temporal echo onto the Earth's surface. With this illusory projection of consciousness, the two were able to return to this homeland once again.

The noisy and prosperous city grew taller and taller, gradually evolving into a supercity. The desolate areas were no longer threatened by Honkai and were being reoccupied by humans.

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

Kiana, having returned to Earth, was exceptionally excited. She pulled Su Jue through the streets and alleys. Although they couldn't touch anything physical, she still enjoyed the fun of shopping like any ordinary girl.

Today seemed to be a special festival, and the entire city was immersed in flowers and blessings, carrying a sweet atmosphere.

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

On the chests of the street security robots, the black and white mark of Kiana was imprinted. Even the trash cans were covered with information about Kiana Group's markings.

Advertisements flickered, showcasing a new game jointly developed by E.T.Studio and Principle Studio. The silhouette of the mysterious female producer in the promotional art had already set the gaming community ablaze.

"This silhouette... looks a bit familiar?"

Looking up at the billboard, Kiana's eyes held a hint of confusion. Although she felt the silhouette was extremely familiar the moment she saw it, the brilliant long hair and tall figure were completely different from the girl in Kiana's memory.

"That's right, it's your friend, Bronya Zaychik." Su Jue explained to her. "E.T.Studio is a game company under Kiana. If anyone could collaborate with them, it would probably be her."

"That's true. After all, so much time has passed, they should have grown up. But her changes are really huge." The girl tilted her head to look at the silhouette on the screen, then looked down at herself.

The frozen time had left no trace on Kiana; she remained the same youthful size as always.

"So, Mei and the others must have changed a lot too."

"Want to go see?" Su Jue looked at Kiana with encouraging eyes. Although the girl said nothing, her longing for her friends clearly weighed heavily on her.

"But I shouldn't disturb them, and the Stargate's energy is limited..."

Before Kiana could finish, 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, I naturally have to fulfill all your wishes."

The projection of consciousness was not restricted by space. In just a moment of disorientation, the two went from the lively city to a building full of technological design. Hundreds of meters of high-rise buildings shot up from the ground, with bright lights shining through the windows.

The gray Ouroboros symbol on the outside of the building was particularly striking, clearly indicating that this was once the headquarters of World Serpent.

The two floated up the building and quickly spotted a familiar figure through the windows on the top floor.

"Mei?!"

Raiden Mei, dressed in professional attire, was sitting at her desk, reviewing documents. It was strange, Su Jue had originally only intended for Mei to be a mole in World Serpent, but now she was almost its leader.

Kiana's pale blue consciousness passed through the glass. She finally saw her closest friend again. She reached out, instinctively wanting to touch her. However, Mei, engrossed in her work, obviously didn't notice the projection of consciousness. She stretched, took a sip of her coffee, and buried herself in the mountain of documents again.

Kiana leaned closer to her, finding the documents filled with incomprehensible things.

"Huanghun Street Reform and Governance, what is this?"

"Probably to make up for a lost friend," Su Jue sighed inwardly, surprised that Raiden Mei had actually gone to reform that chaotic street for Pardo.

The two watched quietly for a while. Finally, Kiana tugged at Su Jue's sleeve.

"Aren't you staying any longer?"

The girl shook her head slightly, a satisfied smile on her lips. "It's enough. Knowing that everyone is living well, that's all that matters."

Su Jue held her small hand and squeezed it gently.

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

"Yeah, let's go." Although she knew Mei couldn't see her, Kiana still waved goodbye with all her might. "Goodbye, Mei."

The next meeting might be in the distant future.

Using the Stargate's warp, the two traveled to different corners of the world. As a gift, Su Jue had naturally pre-selected the locations of Kiana's friends, and they even revisited the rebuilt St. Freya.

Himeko, Theresa, Bronya... many familiar faces had changed their appearance.

But for Kiana, they would always be as they were in her memories.

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

Finally, they returned to their starting point, the city where they first met.

The galaxy flowed like a winding stream across the dome of the sky. The eternal river cast its white starlight, illuminating the young boy and girl standing together.

The evening breeze brushed across the vast plains, playing a melody of life through the treetops sprouting tender green shoots.

"I thought this place would have been converted into other buildings by now." The rolling grasslands were a little withered, but not desolate, as if someone had been diligently tending to this ranch.

The two walked on the grass, which remained just as it had been. Su Jue shook his head slightly, indicating that Kiana's worries were completely unnecessary.

"Don't worry, this is your city. Neither Schicksal nor Kiana would ever change its layout without good reason."

He held the girl's hand and walked forward slowly. After cresting a hill that blocked their view, a more expansive grassland unfolded.

Kiana looked in the familiar direction. Under the boundless sky, two swings swayed gently in the breeze, standing tall on the open field. A wooden cabin sat in the center of the ranch, a silent guardian of this moment in time.

In a daze, she seemed to see a girl standing under the starry sky, trying to sketch the constellations.

But as soon as she snapped back to reality, the shadow from her memory dissolved into an illusion.

That was a regret she could never forget.

The path of growth is always marked by various regrets. Fortunately, Su Jue hadn't harmed anyone; he had merely woven a well-intentioned lie.

"Thank you, Su Jue."

"What's wrong?"

"Thank you for lying to me."

"?"

"Thank you for being with me."

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

"Let's dance."

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 at all. Relying only on their mutual understanding, they quickly lost themselves in the nameless dance.

They gazed at each other, their eyes reflecting only each other's image.

The waltz under the moon went unappreciated and unknown.

The Stargate's teleportation time reached its limit, and the two returned to the Moon. However, lost in the moment, they didn't stop, allowing the dance to continue.

The dead silence of the Moon offered no passionate accompaniment, no dazzling lights, only endless, cold stillness.

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

Time stood still, loneliness gnawed at their bones; only their mutual salvation was an eternal, unchanging vow.

Volumes 123

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Chapter 1: The Boy Who Killed a Cat

Broadcast: "E-015 district is under Honkai Beast attack. All survivors in this area are to immediately evacuate to the central district and await rescue from the combat department. If you spot any Honkai Beasts, report them immediately via your mobile phone, and we will dispatch troops for extermination as soon as possible."

Broadcast: "Repeating, all survivors are to evacuate immediately. Staying in this area may lead to further attacks! Injured residents should try to find a safe area to hide. If you encounter any Honkai Beasts, immediately lower your voice and breathing rate to avoid attracting their attention."

Deep, dark clouds loitered in the gloomy sky, silently listening to the echoing broadcast. The ruins of collapsed high-rises lay sprawled across the land, licked by the flames of burning cars. The evening wind, mixed with the cries and wails of disaster victims, swept past the area that had been attacked by Honkai Beasts and reached the boy's ears.

Meow~

A faint meow reached him. The boy, fleeing in a hurry, paused slightly, instinctively stopping in his tracks.

The sharp broadcast still echoed overhead. The boy gritted his teeth and walked towards the nearby ruins.

The pet shop's sign had long been twisted and deformed in the collapsed building, with only occasional sparks still crackling. Pushing aside the rubble from the steel frame, a small cat, entirely black but with pure white paws, appeared before Su Jue.

Meow~

The cat's cry was weak. Its hind legs had been completely crushed by the steel pipes of a billboard. The moment it tried to escape the pet shop, it was buried by the collapsing building. Its fur was stained with blood, and its white whiskers were still dotted with blood foam.

Its internal organs were ruptured.

Su Jue reached out and gently stroked the cat's head, his eyes filled with a complex emotion.

As if sensing the human's touch, the little black cat managed to lift its head, letting out a hoarse, pained cry. Its dark eyes had become hazy, filled with a desperate will to live.

"Goodnight."

Click—

The pained cry was brought to an end. The black cat, with its white paws, closed its eyes and fell asleep along with the land.

Su Jue withdrew his blood-stained fingertips and covered the cat's corpse with his jacket. In the midst of disaster, he could do nothing but end its suffering prematurely.

He didn't know if it was right or wrong, but no matter what, he had ultimately taken a life.

Roar!

Just as Su Jue killed the cat, the Honkai Beast that had been chasing him all along finally discovered him. With a roar, the Honkai Beast, over ten meters tall, smashed through the road debris and charged towards him.

The gushing fragments easily tore through the billboard on the ground. Su Jue had no time to hesitate and quickly took to his heels.

Unfortunately, his stamina was not excellent. No matter how fast he ran, he couldn't match the Honkai Beast's charge.

Boom!

The car, which had been burning, was directly sent flying and exploded in mid-air. Su Jue stumbled and fell to the ground.

The burning car flew over his head, its scorching flames licking at his back. But this fall, surprisingly, helped him narrowly escape death. His backpack, however, was torn open, and several medical records mixed with a large amount of loose change spilled out onto the ground.

Gritting his teeth, Su Jue quickly got back on his feet and gathered the scattered medical papers and the larger denominations of change.

At the same time, a massive shadow entered his field of vision.

A flash of gold flickered in his eyes, only to disappear the next second.

The towering Honkai Beast raised its claw and smashed down fiercely towards Su Jue's position.

Nekocharm!

A spear pierced the air, embedding itself firmly in the Honkai Beast's descending claw. The beast, over ten meters tall, was impaled and forced to recline backward, collapsing several ruined walls.

Moonlight tore through the dark clouds, casting a pure silver glow on the white-haired girl. She leaped from a tall building, following the thrown spear, and fiercely kicked the Honkai Beast in the head.

"Dangerous!"

Compared to the ten-meter-tall Honkai Beast, the girl's small frame was no different from a praying mantis trying to stop a car. Su Jue struggled to get up, his eyes wide, expecting to see the girl crushed into pieces by the Honkai Beast in the next second.

Bang—!

A dull thud echoed. Contrary to his expectations, the girl's flying kick landed squarely on the Honkai Beast's head. There was no splash of blood, nor was the girl sent flying backward.

The Honkai Beast staggered backward as if struck by a powerful kinetic weapon. Its scarlet eyes bulged from its body, as if its brain had been liquefied by that single kick.

"Die!"

Golden light erupted from the girl's right eye, and pale purple energy gathered, forming a spear which she grasped. She then thrust it into the Honkai Beast's head, piercing out through its eye socket.

Struggling, roaring.