Honkai's Thousand Laws, Starting With Kiana's Abduction

If Schicksal was only this much, then he would have to re-evaluate Otto's capabilities. Even though they were far away in the Land of the Divine, this fighting strength did not resemble that of the strongest organization at all.

"If you don't show up soon, I really can't hold back my third sword anymore." Hot air flowed within his chest as Su Jue muttered to himself.

As a Herrscher, showing mercy to enemies was not a good habit. If it weren't for Kiana, these attacking troops wouldn't have been able to leave this city today.

The only one who could be considered an opponent was Durandal, but now that she had just been knocked back to the ground, there had been no further news from her. He wondered which corner she was hiding in, powering up.

As a villain, he truly detested these protagonist-types who cheated. Kiana, at least, had grown and mastered the power of Flamescion. To explain Durandal's completely unreasonable talent and bloodline solely through training, effort, and willpower was too far-fetched.

When dealing with such enemies, it was hard to guarantee they wouldn't suddenly pull out a super cheat and instantly kill him.

The giant flame sword in his hand gathered energy again. The warships in the sky had been wiped out, leaving only a few to pursue Tread Snow.

The tip of the sword was already aimed at the ground. The previous generation's Herrscher of Flames had directly destroyed a continent, and Su Jue couldn't guarantee he wouldn't destroy the entire city.

Finally, just before the flames gathered completely, a streak of starlight flickered from the ground.

Then, golden light collided with the giant flame sword, and the air, compressed to its limit under high temperature and pressure, expanded explosively.

The densely packed skyscrapers were cut in half by the impact, the upper portions pulverized into dust by the shockwave. Anything other than steel and cement was directly vaporized.

"This strike will pierce the stars!"

The God-Slaying Armor was no longer able to contend with Su Jue; only the power of the stars could rival a Herrscher. The power of the world-bubble materialized, transforming into golden armor that attached itself to Bianca's body, and vibrant star flames burned in her hands. Of course, it wasn't fire, but a manifestation of stellar power, so Su Jue couldn't control it.

"Star Armor, Forge."

Discarding useless Schicksal technology, Durandal returned to the battlefield in a new form. Only in this state could she maintain her combat power against a Herrscher.

The high temperature pervading the sky was no longer scorching under the protection of the Star Armor. Combined with the Kaslana bloodline, she could basically ignore the high-temperature environment created by Su Jue. Now, it was time for a true clash of strength.

The clash between the sea of fire and the star flames ignited the sky once more. That was no longer a battlefield that Valkyries could reach.

Schicksal didn't expect the Valkyries to deal with the Herrscher; their target was only Kiana.

The Herrscher of Void was now in slumber, at her weakest. As for the members of the Kiana organization, apart from that Herrscher, the others were only top-tier A-rank. A war of attrition was still quite effective.

The remaining warships had already gone to intercept Benares. As long as Durandal could stall the Herrscher, the arrest could be carried out.

Under these circumstances, the puppets also began to consciously provide cover. When fighting against Star Cat, Su Jue still had the leisure to control the puppets, so the pressure wasn't that great.

Unfortunately, Himeko was unaware of this. Faced with Schicksal's relentless pursuit, she became fierce and challenged the Valkyrie squad, including Rita, single-handedly.

The rampant flames not only spread across the sky but also scorched the earth.

Mei, riding on Tread Snow in the sky, gained a clear understanding of the intensity of the battle after looking down at the entire city. She saw the organization members wearing black and white insignia desperately covering their retreat, and a sense of awe arose in her heart.

Each of them was facing at least ten times their number of enemies. They were announcing the arrival of Kiana to the world with a frenzied posture, at the cost of their own destruction.

Even Thousand Calamities, who had just sent her to Kiana's side, charged fearlessly into the pursuing Valkyrie forces to cover Tread Snow's departure. This made Mei's dissatisfaction with Thousand Calamities diminish slightly.

And now, she too would be a member of Kiana. What choice would she make in the future?

Chapter 121: Su Jue and Himeko

In the mental space, Kiana stood alone in darkness, the thread in her hand completely broken. She seemed to have realized something and tried her best to sense her connection with Su Jue, but now there was only emptiness.

He was gone.

"What happened?" To this day, Kiana still couldn't sense the situation outside. Her body's damage was far more severe than she had imagined.

Looking at the Tranquil Gem, which emitted a faint glow in the darkness, the gem that had been healing both of them just moments ago could now only repair her own body. Kiana's heart sank. The thought of death surfaced in her mind.

No, it's impossible. He's a Herrscher, how could he just die like that?

She kept trying to convince herself in her heart, attempting to calm down. But the increasingly chaotic mental space did not seem like a place that could be calmed. This agitated feeling further exacerbated the Honkai's erosion.

The natural recovery of the Tranquil Gem could no longer compensate for the speed of erosion. Kiana was forcibly breaking through the shackles of her body with her consciousness, which was extremely damaging to her in her current state.

But she couldn't afford to worry about that now. She had to see the current situation with her own eyes.

Su Jue, Mei, what happened after she sent the Honkai Bomb into the sky?

Just as she was constantly breaking through, Mei outside also encountered a crisis. A large number of individual aircraft had caught up to Tread Snow and began attacking them.

Although her strength was almost depleted, Mei still picked up her weapon and attacked the approaching aircraft and the Valkyries on them.

Unfortunately, she was just an ordinary human. Without awakening as a Herrscher, she was still too weak. Wounds gradually increased, and blood gradually stained her clothes, even flowing onto Tread Snow.

"Without power, one cannot protect."

She had heard this sentence more than once. It was precisely because of her weakness that Mei had trained desperately, but why was she still unable to protect her?

The enemy's attacks were constantly increasing, while Mei was rapidly weakening. In a moment of mental trance, bullets finally broke through her defenses.

Death, so close.

Just as she was about to be hit by a bullet, a spatial rift swallowed all the bullets and then returned from the opposite direction, hitting the Valkyries. Then, a large number of Spears of the Void appeared, piercing the pursuing aircraft and destroying Schicksal's pursuit.

The crisis was averted, and Mei breathed a sigh of relief, only to feel a weight on her body. Kiana, who had been displaying great power moments ago, directly collapsed onto her. Only then did she realize that Kiana's body was completely covered in Honkai cracks.

"Kiana!" she called out with heartache, and Mei immediately helped Kiana sit down.

But at this moment, Kiana just shook her head and replied, "I can't hear anything for now. Is he still alive?"

Kiana, who had lost her five senses, had only recovered her sight for now. She looked around but couldn't see Su Jue's figure.

Mei hadn't seen Su Jue, but by now, she understood. The one who could create the Kiana organization and cover Kiana's escape with his own body must be the one in the sky.

She looked up at the sky, and Kiana followed her gaze, seeing only vast flames and a tiny figure.

"Flames... the Plague Gem."

Teacher Himeko's departure was Kiana's deepest nightmare. A large part of her feelings for Su Jue stemmed from her guilt over Himeko, and everything Su Jue had done before was to fill the void left by Himeko's absence, causing Kiana to unconsciously overlap their figures.

Even though she knew clearly that Su Jue was different from Himeko, she couldn't help but feel the warmth that Teacher Himeko had brought when she was still around from Su Jue.

She was fantasizing that one day in the future, when she found Himeko, making them meet would surely be the perfect ending.

However, the appearance of the Plague Gem could tear everything apart. She had considered Su Jue being any Herrscher, but she never imagined he would awaken as the Herrscher of Flames.

If the Plague Gem was with Su Jue, then Teacher Himeko would be...

Her mind reeled, and the Honkai's erosion intensified, making Kiana's breathing increasingly difficult.

She suddenly didn't know how to face Su Jue, afraid she would subconsciously treat him as Himeko's replacement.

While she was lost in thought, she didn't notice Tread Snow's whiskers tremble.

"This strike pierces the stars!"

Golden light shot straight into the sky. Su Jue, holding a giant sword in the sky, sighed. The giant sword in his hand was deliberately half a beat slow.

In an instant, the light pierced his body.

Seeing this, Kiana suddenly jolted awake. She no longer cared about the relationship between Su Jue and Himeko. She struggled to stand up but could only collapse into Mei's arms.

"It shouldn't be like this..." Her heart was clenched tightly. Himeko's face still echoed in her mind, and now, Su Jue was also leaving her?

Buzz—

Streams of light flickered in the sky, and more and more golden beams struck Su Jue again and again.

"Mei, I have to save them... them." Kiana's consciousness was blurred, and she couldn't distinguish who "they" were, but no matter who it was, she had to save them.

However, even if she could break through the limitations of her consciousness, her severely eroded body could no longer respond to her will.

"Kiana, calm down. They exchanged their lives for your freedom. If you go back now, their sacrifice will be in vain." Mei's heart ached seeing Kiana in this state, but she now clearly understood the power gap. Going back now would be walking into a trap.

Benares had arrived in the distance, and Tread Snow, carrying the two, finally landed on the dragon's back.

After completing the mission, the enormous orange cat finally transformed back into the black cloud, Tread Snow. Seeing Tread Snow in this form, Kiana finally understood what the scene she saw in her dream meant.

The original Tread Snow was long dead. This cat was merely a Honkai Beast that accompanied Su Jue's awakening.

She wanted to call Tread Snow back, but the cat just glanced at her, shook its head, and flew towards Su Jue's location.

"Meow."

This time, it would actively seek out its master.

It was like this again. Everyone left her, and everything returned to its original state.

Mei, beside her, didn't know how to comfort Kiana and could only hold her tightly.

Fortunately, Su Jue had sent Mei over, otherwise Kiana might have gone berserk.

"Mei... I can't do anything." Kiana punched Benares's back, tears no longer containable.

Benares, which had been sinking for a moment, gradually rose higher. On the ground, Himeko, who was already covered in wounds, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She gazed at the sky, watching Kiana leave.

Then she looked at Su Jue in the sky, who, despite being heavily injured, was still fighting.

"Herrscher, I acknowledge you."

Chapter 122: Destruction of the Old Order

The air, scorched by flames, gradually cooled. The morning breeze in the distance, carrying a hint of damp coolness, brushed across the city. The tired man frowned, slowly waking from his sleep.

First, he looked up at the sky in panic. There were no lingering flames, no roaring explosions. He let out a long sigh of relief, a grim smile appearing on his face, and he muttered, "So it was just a dream."

The sun revealed half of itself on the horizon, filling the sky with its rosy glow, stretching the shadows of distant buildings long. But soon, the sunlight became strong enough, sharing its warmth equally with everyone.

Amidst the ruined ruins, the sleeping people slowly stood up, looking up in the direction of the rising sun.

And at their feet lay the once prosperous and dreamlike Sky City, now a wasteland stretching for thousands of meters.

Some people's cries could no longer be suppressed. Those with extreme emotions were already cursing madly, but on this land shrouded in sorrow, some still smiled.

The prairie fire had burned away the city's stratified classes, destroyed the order that prioritized money, and bestowed equal destruction upon the inner and outer cities. On this wasteland, new seeds were about to sprout.

While people looked at the ruins, reminiscing about the past, some had already silently bared their fangs. Strife was imminent.

"Ah, what a thriving scene."

In the Imaginary Space, Su Jue, with a smile playing on his golden eyes, made such a remark.

He casually flicked his fingers, and invisible threads gently swayed, pulling the puppets on the stage, making them perform an unknown play in the darkness.

In the official Honkai disaster relief command center of Sky City, the highly respected person in charge concealed the golden light in his eyes and spoke eloquently in the conference room.

In the helicopter evacuating the city, a corpulent business magnate revealed a sinister smile, marking financial targets on the ruins.

In the temporary shelter tents, a young man from the city's underbelly, struggling to survive, had a face full of madness, desperately wanting to unleash the power within his body.

This performance was unknown to anyone, yet it was destined to be grand and unprecedented.

While Sky City basked in sunlight, a mere thousand kilometers away in an unnamed town, the horizon was just beginning to show a sliver of dawn.

This faint light, falling on the curtains, couldn't penetrate the tightly drawn fabric to reach the young girl inside the room.

Mei, leaning against the wall, was dozing with her katana in her arms when she suddenly jolted awake. She quickly looked at Kiana, who was still sleeping soundly on the bed, and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the cracks on her body hadn't worsened. She prepared to rest again.

Knock, knock.

Just then, a faint knocking sound suddenly echoed. Mei immediately gripped her katana, entering a combat stance.

She didn't respond, instead silently approaching the door. If the other party intended to break it down, she could eliminate them beforehand. "Miss Mei, there are some things that need to be delivered to you," a girl's voice sounded from outside the door. Mei frowned slightly, recognizing the person who had received her last night. After a moment's hesitation, she opened the door a crack.

The girl outside had been standing there for a long time. Seeing Mei appear, a gentle smile spread across her face.

"I'm very sorry to disturb your rest, but we don't have much time. Please take these things first," the girl said, handing Mei a paper bag beside her.

The bag seemed to contain only some clothes, cosmetics, and a spare medical kit.

Besides these, there was also a small black box. The box was made of metal, with a black and white three-ring emblem printed on its surface.

Her eyebrows slightly raised, Mei looked confused. It couldn't be that they called her out just for a few clothes. "Could you explain what these are, Miss Jian Yun?"

"Clean clothes for changing and props for disguise. Schicksal's Valkyries are tracking you closely, so it's best for you to change your appearance before going out. That box contains a temporary Honkai Energy inhibitor, which can temporarily alleviate the Honkai's erosion." As she spoke, Jian Yun glanced through the door crack at Kiana, who was frowning in pain, a hint of dissatisfaction showing in her expression.

"Mei Raiden, the attendants said you are the companion closest to Queen. That's why we entrusted our Queen to your care, but now it seems you can't even let her sleep peacefully?"

The sudden reprimand made Mei's breath catch. Seeing Kiana in such pain, she was more anxious than anyone. If she could, she would even bear this pain for Kiana. But without professional medical equipment, Mei was just a warrior and had no good way to resolve the erosion.

"I will take good care of Kiana, you don't need to worry," she could only say this dryly in the end.

"It better be. If anything happens to our Queen, we will revoke your guardianship." Although she was just an ordinary person, Jian Yun showed no fear towards Mei when mentioning Kiana, even openly expressing her dissatisfaction.

Among the members of the Kiana organization, only the Queen was the most important.

"Use the inhibitor as soon as possible. You can apply it close to a blood vessel, but remember you can only use the second dose after an interval of 6 hours."