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

After being blocked by the Will of the Honkai, the entire Theater of Domination seemed to fall silent.

The endless corridors ceased their expansion, the perpetually swinging pendulum stilled, and even the usual clatter of puppets vanished.

If not for the single spotlight illuminating the stage, one might have assumed the Herrscher of Domination had disappeared entirely.

Kiana, standing below the stage, frowned, hesitation evident in her expression.

"Doing this… isn't it a bit cruel to that girl? If she ever discovers the truth, she might…" Kiana trailed off, unable to voice the thought. She turned to Ren, seated in the audience. "Don't you care about her?"

Ren turned, his deep gaze meeting hers. "What do you consider caring?"

"At least… at least be more sincere." Kiana struggled to comprehend Ren's detached tone as he delegated the execution of this elaborate charade to her.

"When a lie is sufficiently convincing, the line between truth and falsehood blurs."

"For instance… can you be certain that I am the 'me' you believe me to be?"

Kiana fell silent, pondering his words.

Before, she wouldn't have hesitated. She would have insisted that this Ren, the one before her, was the real one. But after Ren had revealed more of his plan, she realized the hidden meanings in his words.

He was guiding her to think for herself, unlike in the simulated world, where he had meticulously planned every detail, leaving her only to execute.

Ren watched her patiently, giving her the space she needed. Finally, Kiana met his gaze, her answer firm.

"I don't know. And I don't care. The ten years we spent together were real. This world is real. Whether or not you are the 'you' in my heart… it doesn't matter anymore."

After careful consideration, the confusion that had plagued her dissipated. Her eyes were clear, a sense of relief washing over her as she spoke.

A genuine smile touched Ren's lips. It was a rare sight.

He had sensed Kiana's dependence on him, her desire for closeness, but he had kept her at arm's length. He knew her affection wasn't true love, but an instinctive reaction to her uncertain circumstances.

In the simulated world, she had grown accustomed to his guidance, reliant on his direction.

But the real world was unfamiliar, frightening. Her instincts drove her to seek a source of support, and in her confusion, she had mistaken this dependence for love.

Her feelings weren't wrong, but she was an individual, not a puppet under his control. She needed to think for herself, to form her own understanding of the world, to distinguish between truth and illusion.

Kiana had taken the first step.

Often, the distinction between illusion and reality wasn't important. What mattered was one's own perception.

The first lesson Ren wanted to teach Kiana was to question the very existence of "Ren." Only then could she carry out the next stage of the plan on her own.

"So, do you still think I'm just deceiving her?"

Understanding dawning, Kiana shook her head.

"Domination isn't necessarily Ren, and Ren isn't necessarily Domination. That's the key to this mission."

…

"Begin."

The Theater of Domination trembled. The surrounding curtains had been drawn, completely shielding Ren from the Will of the Honkai's perception.

In an instant, all the puppets froze, and even the connection to the factory under his control was severed.

The Herrscher of Domination's power was cut off, coalescing into a pale gray core in Ren's hand.

The core transformed into a stream of light, flowing into Kiana.

The power surged through her, her face paling, her body trembling. But she gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, accepting the power.

"I'll leave the rest to you."

As his words faded, Ren's puppet body reverted to its original, featureless form.

With the exception of those he had specifically named, the puppets returned to their default state. As they stirred, the familiar clatter of joints filled the theater once more.

But these puppets were now mere tools, devoid of emotion, incapable of complex actions.

This deception alone couldn't sever the Will of the Honkai's control. Even with the core transferred to Kiana, the mantle of Herrscher of Domination was still tied to Ren. A more powerful external force was needed to shatter that connection.

And that was Ren's task—to become a Herrscher completely driven by emotion.

…

Beep.

A communication alert startled Otto awake. He looked around, disoriented, then quickly regained his composure.

Since acquiring his Soulium body, sleep had become a distant memory. But the sheer volume of data from his foray into the Imaginary Tree had exhausted even him.

"Overseer, we've detected signs of survivors in Nagazora. We believe some residents were overlooked during the evacuation three years ago. Should we initiate rescue operations before commencing the experiment?" Durandal's voice came through the communicator.

Otto frowned. He had glimpsed the Imaginary Tree. He was ready for the final experiment. Rescuing survivors would be a costly delay.

"Also, Ren wishes to discuss the terms of our agreement. We encountered the Herrscher of the Void in the city. There was a… confrontation."

Weighing his options, Otto agreed. Ren was crucial to the observation experiment. He already knew the Herrscher of the Void was at large. Ren's lack of an extreme reaction suggested he wasn't ready for a full-blown conflict. Refusal might provoke him.

And… was it his imagination, or did the figure he had seen in the Imaginary space, just before losing consciousness, resemble Ren?