Honkai's Thousand Laws, Abducting Kiana at the Start

The most obvious thing was that she was at the end of her rope, yet she could still shoot that arrow at the Herrscher. This wasn't because of her own weakness, but because Schicksal had injected her with something similar to an HSN serum.

And that red-haired woman, according to the data collected by World Serpent, was undoubtedly Schicksal's Valkyrie, Murata Himeko. She had thought Himeko died in the battle against the Herrscher of Void, but it turned out that wasn't the case. Schicksal must have saved her. It's even likely that Otto was behind the Herrscher of Void's appearance in Sky City.

Seeing Raven's expression change, Rita's face also soured. After being defeated by the woman codenamed Crimson Snake last time, she thought she had been cautious enough this time, but she was still outmaneuvered. Not only was the weakened Herrscher of Void taken away in advance, but her vehicle was also destroyed. More importantly, the Blade of Immortality squad, who were supposed to provide support, couldn't due to the Eos's inspection.

"Well played!"

"What a scheme!"

After understanding the situation, the two women, feeling insulted, immediately started fighting without a word.

Frost spread rapidly. This time, to avoid the previous mishap, Rita specifically deployed her new armor form—Azure Moon. This was Schicksal's fourth-generation God-Slaying Armor, a particle flow dispersion specialized armor.

It symbolized the terrifying side of the moon, spreading the extinction-bringing cold across the land like moonlight, bringing despair to all things.

Originally, the night should have been overcast, but the Herrscher of Void's power had directly pierced through the clouds, allowing the bright moonlight to adhere to the silver-white scythe. Rita tightly gripped the scythe handle and slowly walked towards Raven, vowing not to be careless again.

As expected, as she approached, a bomb buried underground was detonated. If she hadn't been cautious enough, she would have been affected.

"Hmph~" Satisfied with her progress, Rita curled her lips, and icy frost continuously advanced towards Raven.

Of course, Raven had no idea that what had just exploded wasn't a bomb, but spears that Su Jue had hidden underground while bombarding with the Spears of the Void. Feeling the pressure from the S-rank Valkyrie, Raven felt immense stress. More importantly, her arrows were depleted, leaving her with only two backup pistols for defense.

Bang—

Gunshots rang out. Raven knew the importance of ranged suppression. Since there was no escape, she would fight to the death, her two pistols spitting out bullets. While she put on a resolute front, she had actually pressed the distress signal. The only ones currently stationed in Sky City were her and Jackal. Although Jackal was severely injured, that woman wasn't simple; as long as her brain was still functioning, she wouldn't die easily.

Beep beep beep—

The urgent distress signal echoed in the laboratory. Jackal looked at her communicator, her expression grim.

"Dr. Cleo, your communicator is ringing." A strange female voice came from the shadows. Jackal looked up, her eyes filled with anger as she saw the golden hair swaying in the dim light.

It was this unfamiliar woman who had infiltrated Shencheng Technology's underground without a sound. She had forcibly interrupted Jackal when she was about to treat herself. Raven, who should have been guarding Shencheng Technology, was nowhere to be seen. Jackal watched helplessly as this woman wreaked havoc in her laboratory.

This strange woman was naturally Su Jue in disguise, using the [Mother] puppet as a host body. Her body was still covered in dense Honkai cracks, remnants of Jackal's previous Stigmata Awakening Project.

"Not answering?" The woman's voice was low, tinged with the madness of Honkai erosion.

Listening to the increasingly urgent alarm, Jackal silently turned it off. After the Honkai Beast serum wore off, she had returned to her original body but had lost her mobility. Furthermore, her lower leg was completely fractured, leaving her in her most weakened state.

Under the perfect medical equipment, these would have been minor issues. However, after luring Raven away, Su Jue had used a spatial portal to reach the underground and shut off her equipment right in front of the immobile Jackal. Her conduct was truly deplorable.

"Who are you? Your body has been eroded by over 50%. An experimental subject like you absolutely shouldn't have such strong resistance." Having witnessed countless experimental subjects turn into MANTIS due to failed experiments, Cleo understood very well that with normal willpower, let alone erosion, even widespread energy infection would turn them into MANTIS.

This woman, though on the verge of collapse, could still stand before her with reason, indicating not only a far superior Honkai adaptability but also that her willpower must have undergone training. And such a person would choose to become an experimental subject voluntarily; she definitely had ulterior motives.

"Who I am is not important. I'm only here to borrow some experimental results from Dr. Cleo, such as the serum that can turn you into 'that state'." Perhaps due to the intense pain, the blonde woman's voice trembled slightly. "What a perfect existence, allowing me to get closer to my god. The human body is too fragile; only that form can receive more of the god's blessings."

She thought it was some powerful organization, but it turned out to be a cult that worshipped Honkai. Jackal breathed a sigh of relief. There were many such organizations worshipping Honkai around the world, and many crazy individuals would actively seek out Honkai, hoping to gain its favor through their own willpower.

People like that were everywhere, and their fates were predictable. Although World Serpent also tried to awaken the Stigmata within people through forced awakening, it was at least a legitimate method. Realizing the other party was just a lunatic, Jackal relaxed considerably.

"I can give you the materials, even the serum for awakening Stigmata, but I'm afraid you won't last long."

"That has nothing to do with you. Give me your research data and finished products, and I will leave."

Chapter Eighty-Three: Fanning the Flames

"Data? That's not something you can understand. With a low-tier force like yours, even if I gave it to you, you wouldn't be able to replicate it." Jackal looked down on these organizations from the bottom of her heart. World Serpent's reach spanned the globe. If she weren't in her current predicament, these people would only serve as experimental subjects.

Bang—

But Su Jue didn't give her the chance to talk. He had more important things to do and could just make up an excuse. If he understood research, he would have looted Jackal's entire laboratory.

If possible, a scientist like Jackal would be more suitable for his goals, but since she was someone Kevin had his eye on, acting now was too risky. He had to settle for less and take some research data before leaving.

The Honkai patterns on the woman's body became denser, indicating that the erosion was intensifying. If she turned into a MANTIS, Jackal, in her current state, wouldn't be able to deal with her. Helpless, she had no choice but to hand over her data to Su Jue, though it wouldn't be complete.

"Truly a perfect serum." Looking at the pale blue liquid in the syringe, the blonde woman seemed to see hope and, without hesitation, injected herself.

This stunned even Jackal. She had seen crazy people, but never someone this crazy. Wasn't she afraid of any problems?

With this injection, the woman, who had already begun to turn into a MANTIS, immediately evolved in a more chaotic direction. The beastification serum developed by Jackal could maintain the user's sanity while transforming into a Honkai Beast, but all of this was predicated on the user's willpower and physical condition being stable. In the woman's current state, she would only turn into a true Honkai Beast.

"Madwoman..." Cursing inwardly, Jackal pressed the controller by the experimental bench, activated the instrument that Su Jue had previously turned off, and fled.

Su Jue, left behind, began to mutate. Of course, this was just a ruse. After confirming Jackal had escaped, he sent the spoils to the Theater of Domination and then transferred through the Theater of Domination to the next scene.

The Honkai Beast left behind, under his planned control, began to move towards the surface, where another performance awaited his act.

Returning to Raven's perspective, the failed distress call didn't surprise her. Instead, it further convinced her that this was part of Schicksal's plan. Her backup dual pistols were now out of ammunition, and she could only retreat while fighting against Rita's attacks.

Frankly, if Raven were fully prepared, with sufficient arrows and the Divine Key "Seven Thunders of Retribution" allocated by World Serpent, she wouldn't fear Rita at all. But now, after a fierce battle with the Herrscher of Void, her arrows were all depleted. The Seven Thunders of Retribution in its sniper rifle form was currently unsuitable for close-quarters combat.

Helpless, she could only tentatively try to negotiate with her Divine Key—the Seven Thunders of Retribution had multiple forms, but they had high requirements for the user. If the usage conditions weren't met, it would refuse to cooperate in an instant. Even its sniper rifle form was something Raven had spent years cultivating a bond with to use effectively.

Clearly, the Seven Thunders of Retribution was displeased with the shift to close combat and completely ignored Raven.

In her helplessness, Raven could only try to entangle with Rita using the sniper form, but that was all she could do.

Just as she was gradually falling into a disadvantage, the red-haired woman who had escaped with the Herrscher of Void reappeared. Seeing Raven being suppressed by Rita, she shouted, "I've brought Jackal's serum for you, and the Herrscher of Void has been dealt with. Let's team up and take her down."

Wait, who are you? So familiar.

Controlling Himeko's puppet, Su Jue directly threw the recovery serum he had just obtained from Jackal to Raven. He himself, wielding Mei's leftover katana, engaged Rita in a sword fight.

"It's you! Crimson Snake, you won't escape this time." Seeing the enemy again ignited a fire in the ice-attribute Rita's heart, remembering the shame of her previous defeat. She immediately abandoned the struggling Raven and began clashing swords with Su Jue.

Raven, given a moment to catch her breath, instinctively caught the vial Su Jue threw. The logo on it confirmed it was a product of Jackal. Furthermore, the vial was sealed, so there was no possibility of it being swapped.

"Could she really be a hidden cadre of World Serpent?" Raven was already confused by the situation. After officially joining the fight, she realized the red-haired woman was very different from the Murata Himeko in the files. If she wasn't from Schicksal, then where did she come from, and why was she so familiar with Raven and Jackal?

With these questions, she seized the opportunity to recover her strength. She didn't drink the vial Su Jue gave her directly but performed a series of tests first. Even Jackal's vials had many types: some restored energy, some healed injuries, and some turned people into Honkai Beasts. Raven couldn't determine the properties of this particular vial.

Once she confirmed it was safe, Raven didn't hesitate and drank the vial. A warm current gradually surged through her body, quickly dispelling the chill brought by Rita and making her feel much more comfortable. She raised the Seven Thunders of Retribution, intending to deal with Rita first. As for the red-haired woman, whether she was an ally or not, that could be dealt with later.

With the cooperation of the two, the situation completely reversed. The strength of Schicksal's Valkyries lay in their ability to fight as a team. Now that Rita was separated from her squad, her supplies and support couldn't keep up. Especially with Su Jue holding the frontline against melee combat, Raven could freely use the Divine Key for support. It wouldn't be long before they were defeated.

Just as the situation was improving, Su Jue was caught off guard again and struck by Rita's scythe. The powerful force sent him flying into the ruins.

Seeing this familiar situation, Raven suddenly remembered that the Herrscher of Void had also made a similar mistake and was shot by her. Could it be...

Unfortunately, her thoughts were interrupted as soon as they began to form. Su Jue, who had fallen into the ruins, let out a scream and gradually fell silent.

Rita, having finally gained the upper hand, wouldn't miss the chance to finish him off. Raven's heart tightened, and she immediately aimed the Seven Thunders of Retribution at the ruins.

However, unsure of the situation, she didn't fire directly. The red-haired woman's allegiance was currently unknown, but if she was indeed a teammate, Raven would be branded as a traitor for harming an ally. Therefore, she could only try to suppress Rita's movements by firing.

After confirming that Crimson Snake showed no signs of movement, Rita, exhausted, could only attack Raven again. Raven, without a suitable weapon, could only barely defend herself.

Unbeknownst to either of them, a rift quietly opened within the ruins, bringing Himeko back to the Theater of Domination.

Chapter 84: Su Jue is Dead

Having successfully held off Rita and Raven, Jackal, due to Su Jue's interference, had no time to deal with Shencheng Technology. Su Jue's summoned Honkai Beasts took the opportunity to cause destruction, and the ordinary people of Shencheng Technology fled in panic.

Night was drawing to a close, and within the entire Shencheng Technology area, only burning flames and ruined structures remained. Dark clouds once again obscured the sky, not allowing a single ray of starlight to pass through.

The solid concrete ground collapsed, broken streetlights flickered with sparks, and abandoned cars crashed into each other, emitting piercing alarm sounds.

Undoubtedly, this was a terrifying disaster, the remnants left behind after the Herrscher of Void's rampage.

And at the very center of the ruins, a white-haired girl lay sleeping. Her consciousness had fallen into endless darkness, and no one could save her.

Why did things turn out this way?

In her sealed mental space, Kiana sat huddled in a dark corner, repeatedly asking herself this question.

There were no answers, no responses. Even the Herrscher personality, which always tried to lure her into negative emotions, was now silent. She was like a child abandoned by the world, completely forgotten.

It's so quiet.

So quiet, it's as if... everyone is dead.

They are all dead, and the one who killed them...

is me.

Crimson blood gradually appeared in the girl's hands, then flowed and dripped, eventually forming a lake of deep red that tightly surrounded her.

Beneath the mirror-like lake, countless corpses were piled up. Some were mangled, some were bloody and disfigured, some had expressions of despair from their deaths.

The white-haired girl sat atop the corpses, and those dead bodies were all reaching out to her, trying to pull her into the depths of the lake to become one of them.

"Herrscher of Void!" "Monster that destroys the world!" "Demon stained with blood!"

Countless shouts and wails intertwined and mixed, invading Kiana's mind. She tightly hugged herself, curled up in the darkness.

"I'm not... I'm not..."

Tears streamed down her face, and the despairing girl murmured as if in prayer.

But compared to those hundreds and thousands of voices, her answer was so weak.

If you are not the Herrscher of Void, then who are you?

Are you Kiana?

Are you K423?

Or are you Sirin...

"I..." The girl's voice faltered. The name was right on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't say it.

After she killed Griseo, could the name Kiana truly still belong to her?

She looked down at her blood-stained hands. At some point, this crimson lake had risen to her waist.

You can't escape. Even if you refuse to admit it, those vanished lives will not disappear. Each one records your sins.

They are coming for you!

Everything in front of her was covered in blood. Several corpses lay before her, and the moment she saw them, Kiana no longer had the courage to deny it.

"Teacher Himeko... Griseo... and..."

And that gray-haired boy.

Su Jue is dead! Su Jue is dead! Su Jue is dead! Su Jue is dead! Su Jue is dead! Su Jue is dead! Su Jue is dead!

The entire space began to distort. Blood-red characters filled the entire world, sharp and twisted like blades cutting into Kiana's soul.

"No!"

The girl closed her eyes, but the countless corpses hidden beneath the lake began to repeat these four words.

She covered her ears, but the strange sensation gnawed at her spine like a leech.

She sealed off all her senses, yet the voice did not disappear.

Who was still speaking that name…

It was me, after all.

The lake of blood no longer held her back, swallowing the girl whole. She began to feel suffocated, her body losing all support, and she could only fall endlessly.

Gurgle…

The sound of bubbles floated, filling her ears.

Vaguely, she heard someone constantly calling her name.

"Kiana… Kiana!" Inside the Divine Key Feather Dust's space, Fu Hua was desperately trying to connect with Kiana's consciousness, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't awaken Kiana's awareness. This was, of course, Su Jue's doing.

Knowing that Fu Hua was inside Kiana, how could he not have guarded against it? Long ago, he had already begun to interfere with Feather Dust using the Authority of Domination. Although Feather Dust leaned more towards consciousness control, and the part housing Fu Hua's true soul was almost unbreakable, no matter how strong it was, it was still an incomplete Divine Key. Under the Herrscher's control, interference and manipulation were not difficult.

After Su Jue stole part of Feather Dust's abilities, he also felt the changes within Kiana. Looking at the sleeping girl, Su Jue began to try and awaken her shattered mental space.

The weak abilities of Feather Dust, amplified by the Herrscher of a Thousand, were no less potent than the original, allowing Su Jue to enter her world in the form of a consciousness.

Upon entering her consciousness, the first thing he saw was the entire world screaming "Su Jue is dead."

"..."

Perhaps his influence on her was deeper than he imagined. Realizing this, Su Jue couldn't help but sigh deeply. However, his goal was not to destroy her, but to make her his weapon. Intense self-destructive emotions were detrimental to her growth; it was time to give her some hope.

He cleared the words covering the world bit by bit. Not only Kiana found it despairing, but he himself felt miserable seeing it. Following that were the broken spaces and overflowing lake water. While Kiana, the owner, was asleep, he had to intervene personally.

He initially thought it would be difficult, but to his surprise, Kiana's mental world seemed completely unguarded against him. Using Feather Dust's abilities, he easily eliminated these negative emotions.