Herrscher of Dominance in Honkai, starting with the abduction of Kiana

"You two escape. I'll handle this." Theresa exhaled slowly, drawing the blade from her cross.

The moment she channeled Honkai energy, she felt the strain on her body. This was the consequence of exceeding her Honkai tolerance threshold. Without her battlesuit's restraints, the repercussions could be irreversible.

But this wasn't the time for hesitation. She focused on the Honkai beast that Gray Serpent had become and closed her eyes.

"Fourth power limit released. Twilight Paladin... If you have any more power to give, unleash it all!"

"Blades out! Watch out above!"

The massive cross descended, slamming into one of the Honkai beasts. The impact shattered a large portion of its toughened armor. But the other beast reacted swiftly, pulling its companion back.

Silver flashed, then transformed into a pale blue shimmer. The rapidly spinning blades sliced across the ground, hurtling towards Gray Serpent.

Roar!

Finally unleashing a bestial roar, Gray Serpent slammed a fist into the ground. The powerful shockwave kicked up dust, disrupting Theresa's attack.

The battlefield was filled with the flashing starlight of her blades and the clang of metal on metal.

Under the Twilight Paladin's assault, the twin Honkai beasts steadily retreated. Theresa breathed a sigh of relief; at least they weren't as difficult as Tlaloc.

But before the thought could fully form, the red and blue beasts began to merge, consuming each other. In seconds, they combined into a terrifying monstrosity with two mismatched arms: the Emperor-class Honkai beast, Ganesha.

Transformation complete, Ganesha swiped its massive claws at the flying blades. Protected by thick armor, the blades couldn't penetrate its defenses.

The fusion had completely turned the tables.

"She was right. You should run, Rozaliya and Liliya. After all, we're the same kind. Thanks to you two lab rats, Serpent was able to determine the optimal ratio for the gene serum. Perhaps, out of gratitude for your foolish mother, I might even spare you."

A buzzing voice echoed from within the beast. Gray Serpent cackled.

He raised a fist and slammed it down again. This time, it wasn't just a shockwave; sharp ice spikes erupted from the cracks in the ground, shooting towards Theresa.

"Same kind?! We're nothing like you, ugly!" Rozaliya wasn't fooled. Just looking at it, they were clearly different species.

She remembered what Ren had told her: humans who underwent gene fusion were still human, but they gained the power of Honkai beasts. It was this that had eased her fears of being ostracized.

Theresa, blasted by the ice spikes, crashed into a wall. Her spinning blades spiraled out of control.

Seizing the opportunity, Gray Serpent lunged, claws outstretched towards Rozaliya.

"Run!" Cocolia screamed, eyes wide with terror. But Gray Serpent was too fast. Rozaliya couldn't dodge.

Ganesha's claws loomed larger and larger. Rozaliya's mind went blank. She'd fought Honkai beasts many times, but never had one been this close.

"Move!"

A soft voice came from behind. Rozaliya felt a hard shove, propelling her out of the way.

Liliya, having pushed her sister, was caught in Ganesha's grasp. The beast brought her up to its face.

"Wrong one, eh? Doesn't matter. The order is irrelevant. You'll all become one soon enough. Time for a little snack."

A horrific maw opened, dripping with viscous fluids. Ganesha shoved Liliya into its mouth.

Rozaliya, sprawled on the ground, watched in horror. She was so close to Ganesha that she could see Liliya's eyes as she was swallowed.

"Sister... run..."

"Damn it!" Theresa, recovered, gritted her teeth. Her blades shot towards Ganesha, but at the last second, she instinctively veered them away.

Gray Serpent turned to her, a note of amused surprise in his voice. "Noticed, have you? Can't bring yourself to attack, can you? After all, that little girl is still inside me."

Hampered by her reluctance, Theresa was no match for Ganesha. At this rate, she was sure to lose.

"Liliya! Liliya!" Terror consumed Rozaliya. She grabbed her weapon, ready to charge. But a shockwave sent her flying. She scrambled to her feet again, nearly getting hit by Theresa's errant blades.

Theresa had no choice but to restrain Rozaliya with her chains, keeping her from interfering.

"Let me go! I can sense Liliya! She's in there!"

"Good, Rozaliya. Embrace your anger. Let it consume you. Surrender yourself to the beast within." Gray Serpent, still observing, was pleased with the situation. If Rozaliya lost control, she would be perfect fodder for Ganesha.

"Calm down!" Theresa pleaded, but Rozaliya could barely hear her. She finally understood what that strange man had meant about the price and the danger. Even if it meant never seeing her friends again, she had to bring Liliya back.

Her sister was more precious to her than anything.

"Mr. Seashell, I'm willing to pay the price. Just bring Liliya back safely."

She stood still, clutching the small seashell in her hand.

Seeing Rozaliya calm down, Cocolia gritted her teeth and pressed the last emergency button on her person.

A mech descended from above, deploying a large energy shield in front of Ganesha.

"Theresa, the tactical mech won't last long. Take Rozaliya and retreat. I'll buy you some time... Please!"

Sacrificing her children again? Time and time again, it was always like this.

Rozaliya remained silent, not looking at her mother. Tears streamed down her face, dripping onto the seashell.

"Please... whatever it takes... I need power."

The seashell wasn't under Ren's direct control, but he had left a trace of his awareness to prevent Rozaliya from entering the wrong code.

His threads sensed her anguish. The seashell glowed brighter.

Then I'll enter the code for you. "I can't do anything."

Suddenly, a terrifying surge of Honkai energy erupted from Rozaliya. Invisible threads began to manipulate the power of the Emperor-class Honkai beast, but not for the beast, but for the girl.

Gray Serpent was overjoyed. Just a little girl, and she'd already lost control, hadn't she?

"Good! That's it! Surrender everything to the monster inside you!"

Yes, Rozaliya had surrendered control. But not to the Honkai beast. She'd surrendered to something far more powerful: the Herrscher of Dominance's authority.

Under its influence, Rozaliya stood silent. She hadn't lost consciousness. She was communicating with Ren through the seashell.

Silently, she picked up her greatsword, Sleeping Beauty. In her other hand, she lifted Liliya's fallen blade, Swan Lake. When she looked up, her eyes held a completely different light.

"I beg you, Swan Lake!"